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The Historical Romances 
of Louisa Miihlbach 

Brandenburg Edition 
Limited to One Thousand Sets 









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The Historical Romances of 
Louisa Miihlbach 


Andreas Hofer 

Translated from the German 
by F. Jordan 



New York and London 
D. Appleton and Company 



/TO 


14009 


Copyright, 1868, 1893, 

By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 


Copyright, 1898, 

By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 


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TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

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INTRODUCTION. 


The Archduke Charles of Austria had, as minister of war - 
and commander-in-chief of his brother the emperor, suc- 
ceeded in reorganizing and strengthening the Austrian army, 
after its defeats of 1805. He was, indeed, a great soldier, but 
his fame is overshadowed by that of Napoleon. Repeatedly 
victorious against the armies of the French Republic in the 
Austrian Netherlands, he was forced by the precarious state 
of his health to resign his commands early in 1800, only to 
be sent back to the field in the end of the same year, after the 
battle of Hohenlinden. During the war of 1805 he com- 
manded an army corps in Italy, his opponent being Massena ; 
and in the war of 1809, against which he had declared him- 
self, he inflicted upon Napoleon his first defeat, at Aspern, 
thereby forever destroying the legend of the French em- 
peror’s invincibleness. Defeated at Wagram, the archduke 
resigned his posts shortly afterward ; and during the wars 
of 1813-14 many influences were successfully exerted to keep 
from him the leadership. He died on April 30, 1847. 

The most disgraceful episode of the war of 1809 was Aus- 
tria’s desertion of the faithful Tyrolese, who had risen at the 
emperor’s bidding, and driven the enemy from their moun- 
tains. By the conditions of the Peace of 1805, Austria had 
been obliged to cede Tyrol to Bavaria, but the sturdy, pious 
mountaineers had remained true to their Hapsburg rulers, 
and responded readily to the call issued to them by the Arch- 
duke John in the emperor’s name. The promises made to 
them were all violated after the unfortunate issue of the war, 
and the Tyrolese and their leaders left to the mercy of their 
enemies. 

Andreas Hofer, the head and brains of this glorious epi- 

iii 


IV 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


sode in history, was born on November 22, 1767, in the Passeyr 
Valley, in the inn which was his home through life. He first 
served against the French as commander of a company of 
sharpshooters in 1796, in the neighborhood of Lake Garda ; 
and he was of great service in organizing the militia of Tyrol 
after the Peace of Luneville. In 1809 Hofer, in collaboration 
with Joseph von Hormayr, organized the revolt against the 
Bavarian masters, which has made his name immortal. In 
three days (April llth-13th) the whole country was won for 
the emperor, and Innspriick taken. Hofer met the Bavarians 
twice in battle, and forced them to evacuate the country, but 
after the battle of Wagram the Austrian troops withdrew, 
and he was left to face alone General Lefebvre with an army 
of forty thousand Frenchmen, Bavarians, and Saxons. 

Hofer fled, and hid near his home in the Passeyr Valley ; 
then returned to take the supreme command of the defence 
organized by Speckbacher, Haspinger, and Mayer. His in- 
trepid men inflicted repeated defeats upon the enemy, and 
the battle of Mount Isel (August 13th) forced Lefebvre to 
retreat. Hofer’s military and civil administration of the 
country, with its many anomalies, is described at some length 
by the author. When, however, after the Peace of Vienna, 
the Archduke John himself commanded the Tyrolese to cease 
their insurrection, Hofer at once submitted, but resumed hos- 
tilities shortly afterward, misled by rumors of victory. The 
final outcome was not doubtful : his following dwindled in 
numbers, and at last the end came. Hofer might have saved 
his life, but he refused to accept the help offered him to 
escape to Austria. He remained hidden for two months in 
the Passeyr Valley, then was betrayed and captured on Janu- 
ary 20, 1810. His execution took place on February 20th, at 
Mantua. 

The Peace of Vienna opened a short period of rest for dis- 
turbed Europe. Spain, to be sure, continued to struggle with 
the aid of England, but beyond that the continent was quiet 
at last. This was the period of Napoleon's greatest power and 
glory, but also the period of approaching revolt among his 
own family, and his own commanders. Joseph Bonaparte ab- 
dicated as King of Spain, Louis Bonaparte as King of Holland ; 
the latter wanted to be something more than the emperor’s 
vassal and tool. So Holland was incorporated with France, 


INTRODUCTION. 


Y 


as were Hamburg, Bremen, Liibeck, Oldenburg, and a part of 
Hanover. The empire now reached from the North Sea to 
the Tiber, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Baltic. Paris 
was its first capital. Rome its second, Amsterdam its third. 
Napoleon had married a daughter of the Hapsburgs, and she 
had given him a son, who at his birth had been made King 
of Rome. Napoleon was all-powerful, and only England 
continued the war against him — a war in which there could 
be no compromise, which could end only with the ruin of 
one or the other. 

Napoleon’s continually increasing demands for the en- 
forcement of the continental system against English trade led 
finally to a quarrel with Russia and Sweden. He deemed the 
hour ripe for the overthrow of the last great power remaining 
in Europe, and decided upon his campaign against Russia. 
He called upon his allies and vassals to aid him in this new 
war, and even Austria and Prussia were obliged to send him 
auxiliary troops. On May 9, 1812, he left Paris to take com- 
mand of the Great Army. 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I.— 1809 . ^ 1 

II.— The Emperor Francis . ...... 13 

III. — The Courier and the Ambassador .... 26 

IV. — The Emperor and his Brothers 39 

V. — The Performance of “The Creation”. ... 51 

VI. — Andreas Hofer 62 

VII.— Andreas Hofer at the Theatre 76 

VIII. — Consecration of the Flags, and Farewell ... 83 

IX.— ’Tis Time! 95 

X. — Anthony Wallner of Windisch-Matrey . . . 106 

XI. — The Declaration of Love 117 

XII.— Farewell! 129 

XIII. — The Bridegroom 135 

XIV. — The Bridge of St. Lawrence 147 

XV. — The Bridge of Laditch 155 

XVI. — On the Sterzinger Moos 166 

XVII.— The Hay- Wagons 177 

XVIII. — Capture of Innspruck 185 

XIX. — The Capitulation of Wiltau 196 

XX. — Eliza Wallner’s Return 215 

XXI.— The Catastrophe 222 

XXII.— Eliza and Ulrich 232 

XXIII.— The Triumph of Death 252 

XXIV. — The Archduke John at Comorn 269 

vii 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER PAGE 

XXV. — The Emperor Francis at Wolkersdorf . . . 278 

XXVI. — The Reply of the King of Prussia. . . . 293 

XXVII.— The Battle of Wagram 304 

XX VIII. — The Armistice of Znaym 311 

XXIX. — Hofer and Speckbacher 322 

XXX.— The Capuchin’s Oath 331 

XXXI. — The First Battle 344 

XXXII. — The Fifteenth of August at Innspruck . . . 353 

XXXIII. — Andreas Hofer, the Emperor’s Lieutenant . . 367 

XXXIV. — The Fifteenth of August at Comorn . . . 375 

XXXV. — A Day of the Emperor’s Lieutenant . . . 390 

XXXVI.— The Lovers 401 

XXXVII.— Elza’s Return 413 

XXXVIII.— The Wedding 421 

XXXIX.— The Treaty of Peace 432 

XL. — Dreadful Tidings 447 

XLI. — Betrayal and Seizure of Hofer . 458 

XLII.— The Warning 472 

XLIII.— The Flight 479 

XLIV. — Andreas Hofer’s Death 492 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER I. 

1809. 

The year 1809 had come ; but the war against France, so 
intensely longed for by all Austria, had not yet broken out, 
and the people and the army were vainly waiting for the war- 
cry of their sovereign, the Emperor Francis. It is true, not a 
few great things had been accomplished in the course of the 
past year : Austria had armed, organized the militia, strength- 
ened her fortresses, and filled her magazines ; but the emperor 
still hesitated to take the last and most decisive step by crown- 
ing his military preparations with a formal declaration of 
war. 

No one looked for this declaration of war more intensely 
than the emperor’s second brother, the Archduke John, a 
young man of scarcely twenty-seven. He had been the soul 
of all the preparations which, since the summer of 1808, had 
been made throughout Austria ; he had conceived the plan of 
organizing the militia and the reserves; and had drawn up 
the proclamation of the 12th of May, 1808, by which all able- 
bodied Austrians were called upon to take up arms. But this 
exhausted his powers ; he could organize the army, but could 
not say to it, “Take the field against* the enemy!” The em- 
peror alone could utter this word, and he was silent. 

“And he will be silent until the favorable moment has 
passed,” sighed the Archduke John, when, on returning from 
a very long interview with the emperor, he was alone with 
his friend, General Nugent, in his cabinet. 

He had communicated to this confidant the full details of 
his interview with the emperor, and concluded his report by 

(i) 


2 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


saying, with a deep sigh, “ The emperor will be silent until 
the favorable moment hr.: passed ! ” 

Count Nugent gazed with a look of heart-felt sympathy 
into the archduke’s mournful face ; he saw the tears filling 
John’s large blue eyes; he saw that he firmly compressed his 
lips as if to stifle a cry of pain or rage, and that he clinched 
his hands in the agony of his despair. Animated by tender 
compassion, the general approached the archduke, who had 
sunk into a chair, and laid his hand gently on his shoulder. 
“ Courage, courage !” he whispered; “nothing is lost as yet, 
and your imperial highness — ” 

“ Ah, why do you address me with ‘imperial highness’? ” 
cried the archduke, almost indignantly. “Do you not see, 
then, that this is a miserable title by which Fate seems to 
mock me, and which it thunders constantly, and, as it were, 
sneeringly into my ears, in order to remind me again and 
again of my deplorable powerlessness ? There is nothing ‘ im- 
perial ’ about me but the yoke under which I am groaning ; 
and my ‘ highness ’ is to be compared only with the crumbs of 
Lazarus which fell from the rich man’s table. And yet there 
are persons, Nugent, who envy me these crumbs — men who 
think it a brilliant and glorious lot to be an ‘ imperial high- 
ness,’ the brother of a sovereign emperor ! Ah, they do not 
know that this title means only that I am doomed to everlast- 
ing dependence and silence, and that the emperor’s valet de 
chambre and his private secretary are more influential men 
than the Archduke John, who cannot do anything but submit, 
be silent, and look on in idleness.” 

“ Now your imperial highness slanders yourself,” exclaimed 
Count Nugent. “You have not been silent, you have not 
looked on in idleness, but have worked incessantly and cour- 
ageously for the salvation of your people and your country. 
Who drew up the original plan for the organization of the 
militia and the reserves ? Who elaborated its most minute 
details with admirable sagacity ? It was the Archduke John 
— the archduke in whom all Austria hopes, and who is the last 
refuge and comfort of all patriots ! ” 

“ Ah, how much all of you are to be pitied, my friend, if 
you hope in me ! ” sighed John. “ What am I, then ? A poor 


THE YEAR 1809. 


3 


atom which is allowed to move in the glare of the imperial 
sun, hut which would be annihilated so soon as it should pre- 
sume to he an independent luminary. Pray, Nugent, do not 
speak of such hopes ; for, if the emperor should hear of it, not 
only would my liberty be endangered, but also yours and that 
of all who are of your opinion. The emperor does not like 
to see the eyes of his subjects fixed upon me ; every kind word 
uttered about me sours him and increases the ill-will with 
which he regards me.” 

“ That is impossible, your highness,” exclaimed the count. 
“ How can our excellent emperor help loving his brother, who 
is so gifted, so high-minded and learned, and withal so modest 
and kind-hearted ? How can he help being happy to see that 
others love and appreciate him too ? ” 

“ Does the emperor love my brother Charles, who is much 
more gifted and high-minded than I am ? ” asked John, shrug- 
ging his shoulders. “ Did he not arrest his victorious career, 
and recall him from the army, although, or rather because , he 
knew that the army idolized him, and that all Austria loved 
him and hoped in him ? Ah, believe me, the emperor is dis- 
trustful of all his brothers, and all our protestations of love 
and devotedness do not touch him, but rebound powerlessly 
from the armor of jealousy with which he has steeled his 
heart against us. You see, I tell you all this with perfect 
composure, but I confess it cost me once many tears and in- 
ward struggles, and it was long before my heart became calm 
and resigned. My heart long yearned for love, confidence, and 
friendship. I have got over these yearnings now, and resigned 
myself to be lonely, and remain so all my life long. That is 
to say,” added the archduke, with a gentle smile, holding out 
his hand to the count, “ lonely, without a sister, without a 
brother — lonely in my family. However, I have found a 
most delightful compensation for this loneliness, for I call you 
and Hormayr friends ; I have my books, which always com- 
fort, divert, and amuse me ; and last, I have my great and 
glorious hopes regarding the future of the fatherland. Ah, 
how could I say that I was poor and lonely when I am so rich 
in hopes, and have two noble and faithful friends ? I am sure, 
Nugent, you will never desert me, but stand by me to the end 


4 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


— to the great day of victory, or to the end of our humiliation 
and disgrace ? ” 

“ Your imperial highness knows full well that my heart 
will never turn from you ; that I love and revere you ; that 
you are to me the embodiment of all that is uoble, great, and 
beautiful ; that I would be joyfully ready at any hour to suf- 
fer death for you ; and that neither prosperity nor adversity 
could induce me to forsake you. You are the hope of my 
heart, you are the hope of my country — nay, the hope of all 
Germany. We all need your assistance, your heart, your 
arm ; for we expect that you will place yourself at the head of 
Germany, and lead us to glorious victories ! ” 

“ God grant that the hour when we shall take the field 
may soon come ! Then, my friend, I shall prove that I am 
ready, like all of you, to shed my heart’s blood for the father- 
land, and conquer or die for the liberty of Austria, the liberty 
of Germany. For in the present state of affairs the fate of 
Germany, too, depends on the success of our arms. If we suc- 
cumb and have to submit to the same humiliations as Prussia, 
the whole of Germany will be but a French province, and the 
freedom and independence of our fatherland will be destroyed 
for long years to come. I am too weak to survive such a 
disgrace. If Austria falls, I shall fall too ; if German liberty 
dies, I shall die too.” * 

“ German liberty will not die ! ” exclaimed Count Nugent, 
enthusiastically ; “ it will take the field one day against all 
the powerful and petty tyrants of the fatherland. Then it will 
choose the Archduke John its general-in-chief, and he will 
lead it to victory ! ” 

“No, no, my friend,” said John, mournfully; “Fate re- 
fuses to let me play a decisive part in the history of the world. 
My role will always be but a secondary one ; my will will al- 
ways be impeded, my arm will be paralyzed forever. You 
know it. You know that I am constantly surrounded by 
secret spies and eavesdroppers, who watch me with lynx-eyed 
vigilance, and misrepresent every step I take. It was always 
so, and will remain so until I die or become a decrepit old 

* The Archduke John’s own words. — See “Forty-eight Letters from 
Archduke John of Austria to Johannes von Muller,” p. 90. 


THE YEAR 1809. 


5 


man, whose arm is no longer able to wield the sword or even 
the pen. That I am young, that I have a heart for the suffer- 
ings of my country, a heart not only for the honor of Austria, 
hut for that of Germany — that is what gives umbrage to them, 
what renders me suspicious in their eyes, and causes them to 
regard me as a revolutionist. I had to suffer a good deal for 
my convictions ; a great many obstacles were raised against 
all my plans ; and yet I desired only to contribute to the wel- 
fare of the whole ; I demanded nothing for myself, but every 
thing for the fatherland. To the fatherland I wished to de- 
vote my blood and my life ; for the fatherland I wished to 
conquer in the disastrous campaign of 1805. However, such 
were not the plans of my adversaries ; they did not wish to 
carry on the war with sufficient energy and perseverance ; 
they would not give my brother Charles and me an oppor- 
tunity to distinguish ourselves and gain a popular name. 
Whenever I planned a vigorous attack, I was not permitted to 
carry it into effect. Whenever, with my corps, I might have 
exerted a decisive influence upon the fortunes of the war, I 
was ordered to retreat with my troops to some distant position 
of no importance whatever ; and when I remonstrated, they 
charged me with rebelling against the emperor’s authority. 
Ah, I suffered a great deal in those days, and the wounds 
which my heart received at that juncture are bleeding yet. I 
had to succumb, when the men who had commenced the war 
at a highly unfavorable time, conducted it at an equally un- 
favorable moment, and made peace. And by that peace Aus- 
tria lost her most loyal province, the beautiful Tyrol, one of 
the oldest states of the Hapsburgs ; and her most fertile prov- 
ince, the territory of Venetia and Dalmatia, for which I did 
not grieve so much, because it always was a source of political 
dissensions and quarrels for the hereditary provinces of Aus- 
tria. What afflicted me most sorely was the loss of the Tyrol, 
and even now I cannot think of it without the most profound 
emotion. It seemed as though Fate were bent on blotting out 
from our memory all that might remind us of our ancestors, 
their virtues, their patriotism, and their perseverance in the 
days of universal adversity ; and as though, in consequence of 
this, the spirit of the Hapsburgs had almost become extinct, 


6 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and we were to lose all that they had gained in the days of 
their greatness.* But now Fate is willing to give us another 
opportunity to repair our faults and show that we are worthy 
of our ancestors. If we allow this to pass too, all is lost, not 
only the throne of the Hapsbargs, but also their honor ! ” 

“ This opportunity will not pass ! ” exclaimed the count. 
“ The throne of the Hapsburgs will be preserved, for it is pro- 
tected by the Archdukes John and Charles, a brave army that 
is eager for a war with France, and a faithful, intrepid people, 
which is sincerely devoted to its imperial dynasty, which 
never will acknowledge another ruler, and which never will 
desert its Hapsburgs.” 

“Yes, the people will not desert us,” said John, “hut worse 
things may happen ; we may desert ourselves. Just look 
around, Nugent, and see how lame we have suddenly become 
again ; how we have all at once stopped half way, unable to 
decide whether it might not be better for us to lay down our 
arms again and surrender at discretion to the Emperor of the 
French.” 

“ Fortunately, it is too late now to take such a resolution ; 
for Austria has already gone so far that a hesitating policy at 
this juncture will no longer succeed in pacifying the Emperor 
of the French. And it is owing to the efforts of your imperial 
highness that it is so ; we are indebted for it to your zeal, your 
energy, and your enthusiasm for the good cause, which is now 
no longer the cause of Austria, hut that of Germany. And 
this cause will not succumb ; God will not allow a great and 
noble people to he trampled under foot by a foreign tyrant, 
who bids defiance to the most sacred treaties and the law of 
nations, and who would like to overthrow all thrones to con- 
vert the foreign kingdoms and empires into provinces of his 
empire, blot out the history of the nations and dynasties, and 
have all engulfed by his universal monarchy.” 

“ God may not decree this, hut He may perhaps allow it if 
the will of the nations and. the princes should not be strong 
enough to set hounds to such mischief. When the feeling of 
liberty and independence does not incite the nations to rise 

* John’s own words. — See “ Forty-eight Letters from Archduke John to 
Johannes von Muller,” p. 103. 


THE YEAR 1809. 


7 


enthusiastically and defend their rights, God sends them a 
tyrant as a scourge to chastise them. And such, I am afraid, 
is our case. Germany has lost faith in herself, in her honor ; 
she lies exhausted at the feet of the tyrant, and is ready to be 
trampled in the dust by him. Just look around in our Ger- 
man fatherland. What do you see there ? All the sovereign 
princes have renounced their independence, and become Na- 
poleon’s vassals ; they obey his will, they submit to his orders, 
and send their armies not against the enemy of Germany, but 
against the enemies of France, no matter whether those ene- 
mies are their German brethren or not. The German princes 
have formed the Confederation of the Rhine, and the object of 
this confederation is not to preserve the frontier of the Rhine 
to Germany, but to secure the Rhine to France. The German 
princes are begging for honors and territories at the court of 
Napoleon ; they do not shrink from manifesting their fealty 
to their master, the Emperor of the French, by betraying the 
interests of Germany ; they are playing here at Vienna the 
part of the meanest spies ; they are watching all our steps, and 
are shameless enough to have the Emperor Napoleon reward 
their infamy by conferring royal titles on them, and to accept 
at his hands German territories which he took from German 
princes. Bavaria did not disdain to aggrandize her territories 
at our expense ; Wurtemberg accepts without blushing the 
territories of other German princes at the hands of Napoleon, 
who thus rewards her for the incessant warnings by which the 
King of Wurtemberg urges the Emperor of the French to be 
on his guard against Austria, and always distrust the inten- 
tions of the Emperor Francis * In the middle of the German 
empire we see a new French kingdom, Westphalia, established 
by Napoleon’s orders ; it is formed of the spoils taken from 
Prussia and Hanover ; and the German princes suffer it, and 
the German people bow their heads, silently to the disgraceful 
foreign yoke ! Ah, Nugent, my heart is full of grief and 
anger, full of the bitterness of despair ; for I have lost faith 
in Germany, and see shudderingly that she will decay and die, 
as Poland died, of her own weakness. Ah, it would be 
dreadful, dreadful, if we too, had to fall, as the unfortunate 
* Schlosser, “ History of the Eighteenth Century,” vol. vii., p. 488. 


8 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Kosciusko did, with the despairing cry of ‘ Finis Germa- 
nics ! ’ ” 

“ No, that will never happen ! ” cried Nugent. “ No, Ger« 
many will never endure the disgrace and debasement of Po' 
land ; she will never sink to ruin and perish like Poland. It 
is true, a majority of the German princes bow to Napoleons 
power, and we may charge them with infidelity and treason 
against Germany ; but we can not prefer the same charge 
against the German people and the subjects of the traitorous 
German princes. They have remained faithful, and have not 
yet lost faith in their fatherland. They are indignantly 
champing the bit with which their despots have shut their 
mouth ; and. in silence, harmony, and confidence in God, they 
are preparing for the great hour when they will rise, for the 
sacred day when they will break their shackles with the divine 
strength of a united and high-minded people. Everywhere 
the embers are smouldering under the ashes ; everywhere secret 
societies and leagues have been formed ; everywhere there are 
conspirators, depots of arms, and passwords ; everywhere the 
people of Germany are waiting only for the moment when 
they are to strike the first blow, and for the signal to rise. And 
they are in hopes now that Austria will give the signal. Our 
preparations for war have been hailed with exultation through- 
out Germany : everywhere the people are ready to take up arms 
so soon as Austria draws the sword. The example of Spain and 
Portugal has taught the Germans how the arrogant conqueror 
must be met; the example of Austria will fill them with bound- 
less enthusiasm, and lead them to the most glorious victories ! ” 

‘‘ And we are still temporizing and hesitating,” exclaimed 
John, mournfully ; “ we are not courageous enough to strike 
the first blow ! All is ready ; the emperor has only to utter 
the decisive word, but he refuses to do so ! ” 

“ The enthusiasm of his people will soon compel him and 
his advisers to utter that word,” said Nugent. “ Austria can 
no longer retrace her steps ; she must advance. Austria must 
lead Germany in the sacred struggle for liberty ; she can no 
longer retrace her steps.” 

“ God grant that your words may be verified ! ” cried John, 
lifting his tearful eyes to heaven ; “ God grant that — ” 


THE YEAR 1809. 


9 


A low rapping at the door leading to the small secret corri- 
dor caused the archduke to pause and turn his eyes with a 
searching expression to this door. 

The rapping was repeated, more rapidly than before. 

“ It is Hormayr,” exclaimed the archduke, joyfully ; and 
he hastened to the secret door and opened it quickly. 

A tall young man, in the uniform of an Austrian superior 
officer, appeared in the open door. The archduke grasped 
both his hands and drew him hastily into the cabinet. 

“ Hormayr, my friend,” he said, breathlessly, “ you have 
returned from the Tyrol ? You have succeeded in fulfilling 
the mission with which I intrusted you ? You have carried 
my greetings to the Tyrolese ? Oh, speak, speak, my friend ! 
What do my poor, deserted Tyrolese say ? ” 

Baron von Hormayr fixed his flashing dark eyes with an 
expression of joyful tenderness on the excited face of the 
archduke. 

“The Tyrolese send greeting to the Archduke John,” he 
said ; “ the Tyrolese hope that the Archduke John will de- 
liver them from the hateful yoke of the Bavarians ; the Tyro- 
lese believe that the hour has arrived, when they may recover 
their liberty ; and to prove this — ” 

“ To prove this ? ” asked the archduke, breathlessly, when 
Hormayr paused a moment. 

“ To prove this,” said Hormayr, in a lower voice, stepping 
up closer to the prince, “some of the most influential and 
respectable citizens of the Tyrol have accompanied me to 
Vienna ; they desire to assure your imperial highness of their 
loyal devotedness, and receive instructions from you.” 

“ Is Andreas Hofer, the landwirth, among them ? ” asked 
the archduke, eagerly. 

“He is, and so are Wallner and Speckbacher. I bring to 
your imperial highness the leading men of the Tyrolese peas- 
ants, and would like to know when I may introduce them to 
you, and at what hour you will grant a private audience to 
my Tyrolese friends ? ” 

“ Oh, I will see them at once ! ” exclaimed John, impa- 
tiently. “ My heart longs to gaze into the faithful, beautiful 
eyes of the Tyrolese, and read in their honest faces if they 


10 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


really are still devoted and attached to me. Bring them to 
me, Hormayr ; make haste — hut no, I forgot that it is broad 
daylight, and that the spies watching me have eyes to see, 
ears to hear, and tongues to report to the emperor as dreadful 
crimes all that they have seen and heard here. We must 
wait, therefore, until the spies have closed their eyes, until 
dark and reticent night has descended on earth, and — . Well, 
Conrad, what is it ? ” the archduke interrupted himself, look- 
ing at his valet de chambre, who had just entered hastily by 
the door of the anteroom. 

“ Pardon me, your imperial highness,” said Conrad ; “ a 
messenger of her majesty the empress is in the anteroom. 
Her majesty has ordered him to deliver his message only to 
the archduke himself.” 

“ Let him come in,” said the archduke. 

Conrad opened the door, and the imperial messenger ap- 
peared on the threshold. 

“ Her majesty the Empress Ludovica sends her respects to 
the archduke,” said the messenger, approaching the archduke 
respectfully. “Her majesty thanks your imperial highness 
for the book which you lent her ; and she returns it with sin- 
cere thanks.” 

An expression of astonishment overspread John’s face, but 
it soon disappeared, and the archduke received with a calm 
smile the small sealed package which the messenger handed 
to him. 

“ All right,’* he said ; “ tell her majesty to accept my 
thanks.” 

The messenger returned to the anteroom, and Conrad 
closed the door behind him. 

“Place yourself before the door, Nugent, that nobody may 
be able to look through the key-hole,” whispered John, “ for 
you know that I do not trust Conrad. And you, Hormayr, 
watch the secret door.” 

The two gentlemen hastened noiselessly to obey. The 
archduke cast a searching glance around the walls, as if afraid 
that even the silken hangings might contain somewhere an 
opening for the eyes of a spy, or serve as a cover to an ear of 
Dionysius. 


THE YEAR 1809. 


11 


“ Something of importance must have occurred,” whispered 
John ; “ otherwise the empress would not have ventured to 
send me a direct message. I did not lend her a book, and you 
know we agreed with the ladies of our party to communicate 
direct news to each other only in cases of pressing necessity. 
Let us see now what it is.” 

He hastily tore open the sealed package and drew from it 
a small prayer-book bound in black velvet. While he was 
turning over the leaves with a smile, a small piece of paper 
fluttered from between the gilt-edged leaves and dropped to 
the floor. 

“ That is it,” said John, smiling, picking up the paper, and 
fixing his eyes on it. “ There is nothing on it,” he then ex- 
claimed, contemplating both sides of the paper. “There is 
not a word on it. It is only a book-mark, that is all. But, 
perhaps, something is written in the book, or there may be 
another paper.” 

“ No, your imperial highness,” whispered Nugent, stepping 
back a few paces from the door. “ The Princess Lichtenstein 
whispered to me yesterday, at the court concert, that she had 
obtained an excellent way of sending a written message to 
her friends and allies, and that, if we received a piece of white 
paper from the ladies of our party, we had better preserve it 
and read it afterward near the fireplace. ” 

“Ah, sympathetic ink,” exclaimed John; “well, we will 
see.” 

He hastily approached the fireplace, where a bright fire 
was burning, and held the piece of paper close to the flames. 
Immediately a number of black dots and lines appeared on 
the paper ; these dots and lines assumed gradually the shape 
of finely- written words. 

The archduke followed with rapt attention every line, 
every letter that appeared on the white paper, and now he 
read as follows : 

“The French ambassador has requested the emperor to 
grant him an audience at eleven o’clock this morning. A 
courier from Metternich in Paris has arrived, and, I believe, 
brought important news. The decisive hour is at hand. 
Hasten to the emperor ; leave nothing undone to prevail on 
2 


12 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


him to take a bold stand. Send somebody to the Archduke 
Charles ; request him to repair likewise to the emperor and 
influence him in the same direction. I have paved the way 
for you. I hope the French ambassador will, in spite of him- 
self, be our ally, and by his defiant and arrogant bearing, at- 
tain for us the object which we have hitherto been unable to 
accomplish by our persuasion and our arguments. Make 
haste ! Burn this paper.” 

The archduke signed to his two confidants to come to him, 
and pointed to the paper. When they had hastily read the 
lines, he threw the paper into the flames, and turned to the 
two gentlemen who stood behind him. 

“ Well, what do you think of it ?” he inquired. “ Shall I 
do what these mysterious lines ask of me ? Shall I go to the 
emperor without being summoned to him ? ” 

“ The empress requests you to do so, and she is as prudent 
as she is energetic,” said Count Nugent. 

“ I say, like the empress, the decisive hour is at hand,” ex- 
claimed Baron von Hormayr. “ Hasten to the emperor ; try 
once more to force the sword into his hand, and to wrest at 
length the much-wished-for words, ‘War against France!’ 
from his lips. The Tyrolese are only waiting for these words, 
to rise for their emperor and become again his loving and de 
voted subjects. All Austria, nay, all Germany, is longing for 
these words, which will be the signal of the deliverance of the 
fatherland from the French yoke. Oh, my lord and prince, 
hasten to the emperor ; speak to him with the impassioned 
eloquence of the cherubim, break the fatal charm that holds 
Austria and the Tyrol enthralled ! ” 

*At this moment the large clock standing on the mantel- 
piece commenced striking. 

“Eleven o’clock,” said the archduke— “the hour when the 
emperor is to give an audience to the French ambassador. It 
is high time, therefore. Nugent, hasten to my brother ; im- 
plore him to repair forthwith to the emperor, and to act this 
time at least in unison with me. Tell him that everything 
is at stake, and that we must risk all to win all. But you, 
Hormayr, go to my dear Tyrolese ; tell them that I will re- 
ceive them here at twelve o’clock to-night, and conduct them 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


13 


to me at that hour, my friend. We will hold a council of war 
at midnight.” 

“And your imperial highness does not forget that you 
promised to go to the concert to-night?” asked Nugent. 
“ Your highness is aware that our friends not only intend to- 
night to give an ovation to the veteran master of German art, 
Joseph Haydn, hut wish also to profit hy the German music to 
make a political demonstration ; and they long for the pres- 
ence of the imperial court, that the emperor and his brothers 
may witness the patriotic enthusiasm of Vienna.” 

“I shall certainly be present,” said the archduke, earnestly, 
“ and I hope the empress will succeed in prevailing on the 
emperor to go to the concert. — Well, then, my friends, let us 
go to work, and may God grant success to our efforts ! ” 


CHAPTER n. 

THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 

The Emperor Francis had to-day entered his study at an 
earlier hour than usual, and was industriously engaged there 
in finishing a miniature cup which he had commenced cutting 
from a peach-stone yesterday. On the table before him lay 
the drawing of the model after which he was shaping the cup ; 
and Francis lifted his eyes only from time to time to fix them 
on the drawing, and compare it with his own work. These 
comparisons, however, apparently did not lead to a cheering 
result, for the emperor frowned and put the cup rather im- 
petuously close to the drawing on the table. 

“ I believe, forsooth, the cup is not straight,” murmured the 
emperor to himself, contemplating from all sides the diminu- 
tive object which had cost him so much labor. “ Sure 
enough, it is not straight, it has a hump on one side. Yes, 
yes, nothing is straight, nowadays ; and even God in heaven 
creates His things no longer straight, and does not shrink 
from letting the peach-stones grow crooked. But no matter — 
what God does is w T ell done,” added the emperor, crossing 


14 


ANDREAS EOFER. 


himself devoutly ; “ even an emperor must not censure it, and 
must not grumble when his cup is not straight because God 
gave the peach-stone a hump. Well, perhaps, I may change 
it yet, and make the cup straight.” 

He again took up the little cup, and commenced industri- 
ously working at it with his sharp files, pointed knives, and 
gimlets. It was hard work : large drops of sweat stood on the 
emperor’s forehead ; his arms ached, and his fingers became 
sore under the pressure of the knives and files ; but the em- 
peror did not mind it, only from time to time wiping the sweat 
from his brow, and then continuing his labor with renewed zeal. 

Close to the small table containing the tools stood the em- 
peror’s large writing-table. Large piles of documents and 
papers lay on this table, and among them were scattered also 
many letters and dispatches with broad official seals. But the 
emperor had not yet thought of opening these dispatches or 
unsealing these letters. The peach-stone had engrossed his 
attention this morning, and he had unsealed only one of the 
papers ; the emperor had read only the report of the secret 
police on the events of the previous day. These reports of the 
secret police and the Chiffre-Cabinet were the favorite reading 
matter of the Emperor Francis, and he would have flown into 
a towering passion if he had not found them on his writing- 
table early every morning. 

Thanks to these reports, the emperor knew every morning 
all that had occurred in Vienna during the previous day ; 
what the foreign ambassadors had done, and, above ail things, 
what his brothers, the Archdukes Charles, Ferdinand, Joseph, 
and John, had said, done, and perhaps only thought. To-day’s 
report had not communicated many important things to the 
emperor ; it had only informed him that, at daybreak, a courier 
from Paris had arrived at the house of the French ambassa- 
dor, Count Andreossi, and that there were good reasons to 
believe that he had brought highly important news. 

It was exactly for the purpose of dispelling the anxiety 
with which this unpleasant intelligence had filled him, that 
Francis had laid aside the report and recommenced his work 
on the cup ; and by this occupation he had succeeded in for- 
getting the burdensome duties of his imperial office. 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


15 


He was just trying very hard to plane one side of his cup, 
when a low rap at the small door leading to the narrow corri- 
dor, and thence to the apartments of the empress, interrupted 
him. The emperor gave a start and looked toward the door, 
listening and hoping, perhaps, that his ear might have de- 
ceived him. But no, the rapping was heard once more : there 
could no longer be a doubt of it— somebody sought admittance, 
and intended to disturb the peaceful solitude of the emperor. 

“ What does the empress want ? ” murmured Francis. 
“ What does she come here for ? I am afraid something un- 
pleasant has happened again.” 

He rose with a shrug from his chair, put his miniature cup 
hastily into the drawer of his table, and hurried to open the 
door. 

Francis had not been mistaken. It really was the Empress 
Ludovica, the third consort of the emperor, who had married 
her only a few months ago. She w r ore a handsome dishabille 
of embroidered white muslin, closely surrounding her delicate 
and slender form, and trimmed with beautiful laces. The 
white dress reached up to the neck, where a rose-colored tie 
fastened it. Her beautiful black hair, which fell down in 
heavy ringlets on both sides of her face, was adorned with a 
costly lace cap, from which wide ribbons of rose-colored satin 
flowed down on her shoulders. But the countenance of the 
empress did not correspond to this coquettish and youthful 
dress. She was young and beautiful, but an expression of pro- 
found melancholy overspread her features. Her cheeks w r ere 
transparently white, and a sad, touching smile quivered round 
her finely-chiselled, narrow lips ; her high, expansive fore- 
head was shaded, as it were, by a cloud of sadness ; and her 
large black eyes shot, from time to time, gloomy flashes which 
seemed to issue from a gulf of fiery torture. But whatever 
passions might animate her delicate, ethereal form, the em- 
press had learned to cover her heart with a veil, and her lips 
never gave utterance to the sufferings of her soul. Only her 
confidantes were allowed to divine them ; they alone knew 
that twofold tortures were racking Ludovica’s fiery soul, those 
of hatred and wounded pride. Napoleon ! it was he whom 
the empress hated with indescribable bitterness ; and the neg- 


16 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


lect with which her consort, the Emperor Francis, treated her 
cut her proud heart to the quick. Thanks to the intrigues and 
immense riches of her mother, Beatrix of Este, Duchess of Mo- 
dena, she had become the wife of an emperor, and herself an 
empress ; but she had thereby obtained only an august posi- 
tion, not a husband and partner. She was an empress in name 
only, but not in reality. Francis had given her his hand, but 
not his heart and his love. He disdained his beautiful, lovely 
wife ; he avoided any familiar intercourse with her with 
anxious timidity ; only in the presence of the court and the 
public did he treat the empress as his consort, and tolerate her 
near his person. At first Ludovica had submitted to this 
strange conduct on the part of her husband with proud indif- 
ference, and not the slightest murmur, not the mildest re- 
proach. had escaped her lips. For it was not from love that 
she had chosen this husband, but from ambition and pride. 
She had told herself that it would be better for her to be Em- 
press of Austria than Princess of Modena and Este ; and even 
the prospect of being the third wife of Francis of Austria, and 
the stepmother of the ten children whom his second wife had 
borne to him, had not deterred her. She meant to marry the 
emperor, and not the man ; she wished to play a prominent 
part, and exert a powerful influence on the destinies of the 
world. But these hopes were soon to prove utterly futile. 
The emperor granted her publicly all the privileges of her ex- 
alted position by his side ; but in the privacy of her apartments 
he never made her his confidante ; he refused to let her have 
any influence over his decisions ; he never consulted her as to 
the measures of his administration ; nay, he avoided alluding 
to such topics in her presence. 

Such was the grief that was gnawing at the heart of the 
young empress — the wound from which her proud and lofty 
soul was bleeding. But for a few weeks past she had over- 
come her silent grief, and the presence of her mother, the 
shrewd and intriguing Duchess of Modena, seemed to have im- 
parted fresh strength to the empress, and confirmed her in her 
determination to conquer the heart and confidence of her hus- 
band. Whereas she had hitherto met his indifference by 
proud reticence, and feigned not to notice it, she was now 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


17 


kind and even affectionate toward him; and it often happened 
that, availing herself of the privilege of her position, she trav- 
ersed the private corridor separating her rooms from those of 
her husband, and, without being summoned to him, entered 
his cabinet to talk politics with him in spite of his undisguised 
aversion to doing so. 

The emperor hated these interviews from the bottom of his 
heart; a shudder pervaded his soul, and a cloud covered his 
brow, whenever he heard the low rap of the empress at his 
private door. To-day, too, the dark cloud covered his fore- 
head even after the empress had entered his cabinet. Ludo- 
vica noticed it, and a mournful smile overspread her pale face 
for a moment. 

“As your majesty did not come to me to bid me good- 
morning, I have come to you,” she said, in a gentle, kind 
voice, holding out her beautiful white hand to the emperor. 

Francis took it and pressed it to his lips. “ It is true,” he 
said, evidently embarrassed, “ I did not come this morning to 
pay my respects to you, but time was wanting to me. I had 
to go at once to my cabinet and work; I am very busy.” 

“I see,” said Ludovica; “your majesty’s dress still bears 
the traces of your occupation.” 

The emperor hastened to brush away with his hands the 
small particles of the peach-stone that had remained on his 
shirt-bosom and his sleeve ; but while he was doing this his 
brow darkened still more, and he cast a gloomy and defiant 
glance on the empress. 

“ Look, empress,” he said ; “ perhaps you belong to the secret 
police, and have been employed to watch me in order to find 
out what I am doing when I am alone in my cabinet. Why, 
if I found out that that was so, I should be obliged to be on 
my guard and have this door walled up, so that my esteemed 
consort might no longer be able to surprise and watch me.” 

“ Your majesty will assuredly not do that,” said Ludovica, 
whose voice was tremulous, and whose cheeks had turned 
even paler than before. “ No, your majesty will not make me 
undergo the humiliation of making known to the world the 
deplorable secret with which we alone have hitherto been 
acquainted. Your majesty will not deprive me of the only 


18 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


privilege which I enjoy in common with your former con- 
sorts, and thereby proclaim to the world that I am in this 
palace a stranger who has not even access to the rooms of her 
husband.” 

“ I do not say that I intend to do it,” said Francis, shrug- 
ging his shoulders ; “ I say only that it is highly repugnant to 
me to have my steps dogged and watched in any manner. It 
is true, my former consort had also the keys of this private 
corridor, but — pardon me for this remark, your majesty — the 
empress never used these keys, but always waited for me to 
open the door.” 

“And she did not wait in vain,” said the empress, quickly; 
“ your majesty never failed to come, for you loved your con- 
sort, and I have been told you never suffered even a few hours 
to pass by without leaving your cabinet and crossing the secret 
corridor to repair to the rooms of the empress.” 

“ But the good Empress Theresa,” exclaimed the emperor, 
“ when I was with her, never endeavored to talk to me about 
politics and state affairs.” 

“ I understand that,” said Ludovica ; “ you had both so many 
mutual interests to converse about. You had your mutual love, 
your children, to talk about. I, who am so unhappy as not to 
be able to talk with you about such matters, how intensely so- 
ever my heart longs for it, must content myself with coversing 
with my husband on different subjects ; and I desire to share 
at least his cares when I cannot share his love. My husband, 
I beseech you, do not disdain my friendship ; accept a friend’s 
hand, which I offer to you honestly and devotedly.” 

‘ £ My God, that is precisely w’hat I long for ! ” exclaimed 
the emperor fervently, again pressing to his lips the hand 
which the empress held out to him. “ My fondest wish is ful- 
filled when your majesty will give me your friendship, and 
confide in me as your best, most devoted, and faithful friend ! ” 

“But this confidence must be reciprocated, my dearest 
friend,” said Ludovica, putting her hand on the emperor’s 
shoulder, and gazing long and ardently into his eyes. “ Your 
majesty must confide in me too, and count implicitly on my 
fidelity. ” 

“ That is what I do,” said Francis, hastily ; “ never should 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


19 


I dare to doubt the fidelity of the purest, chastest, and most 
virtuous empress and lady — the fidelity of my wife.” 

“ I did not refer to the wife’s fidelity,” said Ludovica, sigh- 
ing, “ but to the fidelity of my friendship, which is joyously 
ready to share all your cares and afflictions.” 

“ Well, then,” said the emperor, nodding to her smilingly, 
“ I will give you a proof of my faith in your friendship. Yes, 
you shall share my cares and afflictions.” 

“ Oh, my husband, how happy you make me by these 
words ! ” exclaimed Ludovica, and a faint blush beautified her 
noble face. 

“I will let you participate in my work to-day, and you 
shall give me your advice,” said the emperor, nodding to the 
empress, and stepping to the writing-table, from whose drawer 
he took the little cup. “Look, my dear friend,” added the 
emperor, handing the cup to his consort, “ I wished to make a 
little cup from this peach-stone and give it to Maria Louisa, 
who delights in such things; but when I had nearly fin- 
ished it, I discovered suddenly that the peach-stone was 
crooked and not equally round on both sides. Now give 
me your advice, my fair friend ; tell me what I am to do 
in order to straighten the cup. Look at it, and tell me 
how to fix it. It would be an everlasting disgrace for an 
emperor to be unable to straighten a thing which he himself 
made crooked.” 

The empress had turned pale again ; her dark eyes shot 
fire for a moment, and she compressed her lips as if to stifle 
a cry of indignation. But she overcame her agitation quickly, 
and hastily took the little cup which the emperor still held 
out to her. 

“Your majesty is right,” she said; the “cup is really 
crooked, and will not stand erect when you put it on the table. 
As your majesty has asked me what ought to be done about it, 
I advise you to get rid of the thing, declare war against the 
little cup, and remove it forever by touching it in this manner 
with your little finger.” 

She upset the miniature cup with her slender little finger, 
so that it rolled to the other end of the table. 

“ That is very energetic advice, indeed,” said Francis, smib 


20 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ing, “ but I do not like it. To upset a thing that is not well 
done is no way of improving it.” 

“ Yes, your majesty, to destroy what is not well done is 
paving the way for something better,” exclaimed Ludovica. 
“You yourself said just now it would be an everlasting dis- 
grace for an emperor to be unable to straighten anything 
which he himself made crooked. It seems to me, now, an 
emperor should extricate himself from any position imposing 
on him the necessity of doing anything crooked and unworthy 
of his imperial dignity. If such is his duty in regard to a 
thing so insignificant as a peach-stone, how much more ur- 
gent is this duty, when there is at stake something so great 
and sacred as the independence and honor of your empire and 
policy ! ” 

“ See, see ! ” said the emperor, scratching his head with 
an expression of ludicrous surprise ; “then we have really 
got back from the peach-stone to political affairs and the 
war-question. Now, this war-question is a hard peach- 
stone to crack, and the mere thought of it sets my teeth on 
edge. ” 

“ Ah,” said Ludovica, “ your teeth are firm and strong, for 
they are composed of three hundred thousand swords, and 
thousands of cannon and muskets. If the lion is determined 
to use his teeth, he will easily succeed in destroying the were- 
wolf ; for this rapacious] and bloodthirsty were-wolf is brave 
and invincible only when he has to deal with lambs ; only the 
feeble and disarmed have reason to fear him.” 

“In speaking of a were-wolf, I suppose you refer to the 
Emperor Napoleon ? ” asked the emperor, smiling. “ I must 
tell you, however,. that, in your warlike enthusiasm, you do 
him injustice. It seems to me he is brave not alone when he 
has to deal with lambs, and not alone the feeble and disarmed 
have reason to fear him. I think I did not march lambs 
against him at Austerlitz, but brave men, who were not feeble 
and disarmed, but strong and well-armed. Nevertheless, 
Bonaparte overpowered them ; he gained the battle of Auster- 
litz over us, and we had to submit to him, and accept the terms 
of peace which he imposed on us.” 

“ Yes, your majesty had to submit to him,” cried the em- 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


21 


press, ardently ; “ you were obliged to repair to tbe proud 
usurper’s camp and beseech him to grant you peace ! ” 

“ I was not obliged to go to him, but I did so in order to 
restore peace to my people, and prevent all Austria from 
sinking into ruin. It is true, it was a dreadful walk for me, 
and when I saw the Emperor of the French at his camp-fire, 
he became utterly distasteful to me.* Nevertheless, the truth 
cannot be gainsaid, and the truth is that the Emperor Na- 
poleon is more than a were- wolf killing only lambs ; he is a lion 
whose furious roar causes all thrones to tremble, and who, when 
he shakes his mane, shakes all Europe to its foundations.” 

“ The more is it incumbent on us then to put an end to 
this unnatural state of affairs, ” exclaimed the empress, ve- 
hemently ; “ to strengthen the thrones, and restore at length 
tranquillity to Europe. And there is only one way of doing 
this, my lord and emperor, and that is war ! We must de- 
stroy the lion in order to restore tranquillity to the peaceable 
nations.” 

“ But what if, instead of destroying the lion, we should be 
destroyed by him ? ” asked the emperor, with a shrug. “ What 
if the lion should a second time place his foot on our neck, 
trample us in the dust, and dictate to us again a disgraceful 
and humiliating peace ? Do you think that the present posi- 
tion of the King of Prussia is a pleasant and honorable one, 
and that I am anxious to incur a similar fate ? No, madame ! I 
am by no means eager to wear a martyr’s crown instead of my 
imperial crown, and I will rather strive to keep my crown on 
my head, regardless of the clamor of the German war-party. 
These German shriekers are nice fellows. They refuse to 
do any thing, but think it is enough for them to cry, ‘ War ! 
war ! ’ and that that will be sufficient to conquer Bonaparte. 
But, empress, a great deal more is required for that purpose 
than the fanatical war-clamor of the aristocratic saloons, and 
the scribblings of the journalists and patriotic poets ; in order 
to attain so grand an object, it is indispensable that all Ger- 
many should rise, take up arms, and attack the enemy with 
united forces.” 

* The emperor’s own words.— See “ Lebensbilder aus dem Befreiungs- 
kriege,” vol. i. 


22 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ It is as your majesty says,” exclaimed Ludovica, enthusi- 
astically ; “ all Germany is ready for the struggle against the 
enemy. The nation is only waiting for Austria to give the 
signal, draw the sword, and advance upon France, when all 
Germany will follow her.” 

“ I know these fine phrases,” said Francis, shrugging his 
shoulders ; “ I hear them every day from my brothers, who 
are eager for war, and who manage to gain a great deal of 
popularity in so comfortable a manner. But after all, they 
are phrases with very little sense in them. For just tell me, 
empress, where is the Germany which, you say, is only wait- 
ing for Austria to give the signal ? Where are the German 
armies which, you say, are only waiting for Austria to ad- 
vance, when they will follow her ? I have good sound eyes, 
but I cannot see such armies anywhere. I am quite familiar 
with the geography of Germany, I know all the states that 
belong to it, but among them I vainly look for those which 
are waiting for us to give such a signal. Prussia is utterly 
powerless, and cannot do any thing. The princes of the 
Rhenish Confederacy, it is true, are waiting for the signal, but 
Bonaparte will give it to them, and when they march, they 
will march against Austria and strive to fight us bravely in 
order to obtain from the French Emperor praise, honors, titles, 
and grants of additional territories. No, no, I cannot be blind- 
ed by brave words and bombastic phrases : I know that Austria, 
in case a war should break out, would stand all alone, and 
that she must either conquer or be ruined. In 1805, when, in 
consequence of the disastrous battle of Austerlitz, I lost half 
my states, I was not alone, Russia was my ally. But Russia 
has recently declared that, in case a war should break out, she 
would not assist us against Napoleon, but observe a strict neu- 
trality as long as possible ; if she should, however, be obliged 
to take a decided stand, she would be on the side of France 
and against us. Consequently, I am entirely isolated, and 
Napoleon has numerous allies.” 

“But your majesty has a powerful ally in the universal 
enthusiasm of the Austrians and Germans, in the universal 
indignation of the nations against Napoleon. You have pub- 
lic opinion on your side, and that is the most powerful ally.” 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


23 


“ Ah, let me alone with that abominable ally,” cried the 
emperor, vehemently ; “ I do not want to hear of it nor to 
have anything to do with it. Public opinion is the hobby 
■which my brother, the popular Archduke John, is riding all 
the time ; but it will throw him one day into the mire, and 
then he will find out what it really amounts to. Pray, never 
speak to me again of public opinion, for I detest it. It smells 
of revolution and insurrection, and, like a patient donkey, 
suffers itself to be led by whosoever offers it a thistle as a 
bait. I renounce once for all the alliance of public opinion, 
and I do not care whether it blesses or crucifies me, whether it 
calls me emperor or blockhead. You see now, empress, that I 
am entirely isolated, for the ally which you offer to me will 
do me no good ; I do not want it, and I have no other allies. 
I thought it necessary to arm, in view of the formidable arma- 
ments of France, and show our adversary that I am not afraid 
of him, but am prepared for every thing. I therefore put my 
army on the war footing, and showed Bonaparte that Austria 
is able to cope with him, and that money and well-disciplined 
armies are not wanting to her. But just now I shall not pro- 
ceed any further, and, unless something important should 
occur, all this war-clamor and all importunities will make no 
impression on me. The important event to which I alluded 
would be Napoleon’s defeat in Spain, whereby he would be 
compelled to keep his armies there. In that event, I should 
no longer be isolated, but Spain would be my ally, and I 
should probably declare war. But if matters should turn out 
otherwise, if fortune should favor Napoleon there as every- 
where else, necessity alone will determine my course. I shall 
not attack, and thereby challenge fate of my own accord ; but 
I shall wait, sword in hand, for Napoleon to attack me. If he 
does, God and my good right will be on my side, and what- 
ever may be the result of the struggle, people will be unable to 
say that I rashly plunged into war and broke the peace. If we 
succumb, it is the will of God and the Holy Virgin, and not, 
our fault. And now, empress,” said the emperor, drawing a 
deep breath, “ I have complied with your wishes and talked poli- 
tics with you. I think it will be enough once for all, and you 
and you political friends will perceive that you cannot do any 


24 : 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


thing with me, and that it will be best for you to let me en- 
tirely alone ; for I am so stubborn as not to allow others to 
lead me, but pursue my own course. You have promised me, 
empress, to be a faithful friend to me. I ask you now to give 
me a proof of your friendship. Let us speak of something 
else than politics ; that is all that I ask of your friendship.” 

“ Well, then, let us drop the subject,” said the empress, 
with a deep sigh. “ Your ^majesty will be kind enough to 
permit me now to ask a favor of you ? ” 

“Ah, you speak as if there were anything that I could 
refuse you,” exclaimed the emperor, smiling. 

Ludovica bowed slightly. “ I pray you, therefore,” she 
said, “ to be kind enough to accompany me to the concert 
which is to be given at the university hall. Haydn’s ‘ Cre- 
ation’ will be performed there, and I believe the old maestro 
himself will be present to receive the homage of his ad- 
mirers. ” 

“ H’m, h’m ! I am afraid there is something else behind 
it,” said the emperor, thoughtfully, “ and the audience will 
not content itself with merely offering homage to old Haydn. 
But no matter, your majesty wishes to go to the concert, and 
it will afford me pleasure to accompany my empress.” 

At this moment they heard a low rap at the door leading 
from the emperor’s cabinet into the conference-room, where 
the officers of the private imperial chancery were working. 

“Well, what is it?” exclaimed the emperor. “Come 
in!” 

The emperor’s private chamberlain slipped softly through 
the half-opened door, and, on beholding the empress, he stood 
still without uttering a word. 

“ Never mind, the empress will excuse you,” said Francis. 
“Just tell me what you have come in for.” 

“ Your majesty,” said the chamberlain, “ the French am- 
bassador, Count Andreossi, has just arrived, and requests your 
majesty to grant him an audience. He says he wishes to 
communicate information of great importance to you.” 

“ Why did he not apply to my minister of foreign affairs ? ” 
asked the emperor, indignantly. 

“ Your majesty, the ambassador begs your pardon, but he 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 


25 


says the Emperor Napoleon gave him express orders to en- 
deavor if possible to speak with your majesty.” 

“ And he is already in the anteroom, and waits for an im- 
mediate audience ? ” 

“ Yes, your majesty.” 

“Well, then, I will receive him,” said the emperor, rising. 
“ Conduct the ambassador to the small audience-room. — 
Well ? ” asked the emperor, wonderingly, when the chamber- 
lain did not withdraw. “ You do not go ? Do you wish to 
tell me any thing else ? ” 

“I do, your majesty. A courier has just arrived from 
Paris with pressing dispatches from Count Metternich to your 
majesty.” 

“ Ah, that changes the matter ! ” exclaimed the emperor. 
“ Tell the ambassador that I can not receive him now, but 
that he is to come back in an hour, at eleven precisely, when 
I shall be ready to receive him. Tell the courier to come to 
me at once.” 

The chamberlain slipped noiselessly out of the door, and 
the emperor turned again to the empress 

“ Empress,” he said, “ do me the honor of permitting me to 
offer you my arm, and conduct you back to your rooms. 
You see I am a poor, tormented man, who is so overwhelmed 
with business that he cannot even chat an hour with his 
wife without being disturbed. Pity me a little, and prove it 
to me by permitting me henceforth to rest in your presence 
from the cares of business, and not talk politics.” 

“ The wish of my lord and emperor shall be fulfilled,” said 
the empress, mournfully, taking the arm which the emperor 
offered to her to conduct her back to her rooms. 

Just as she crossed the threshold of the imperial cabinet, 
and stepped into the corridor, she heard the voice of the 
chamberlain, who announced : “ The courier from Paris, 

Counsellor von Hudelist.” 

“ All right, I shall be back directly ! ” exclaimed the em- 
poror, and he conducted the empress with a somewhat accel- 
erated step through the corridor. In front of the door at 
its end he stood still and bowed to the empress with a pleas- 
ant smile. 


26 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ I have conducted you now to the frontier of your realm,” 
said Francis ; “ permit me, therefore, to return to mine. 

Farewell ! We shall go to the concert to-night. Fare- 
well ! ” 

Without waiting for the reply of the empress, he turned 
and hastily re-entered his cabinet. 

Ludovica entered her room and locked the door behind 
her. “Closed forever !” she said, with a sigh. “At least I 
shall not try again to avail myself of this door, and shall not 
expose myself again to the sneers of the emperor. I must, 
then, bear this disgrace ; I must submit to being disdained and 

repudiated by my husband ; I But hush ! ” the empress 

interrupted herself, “ this is no time for bewailing my per- 
sonal fate, for the fate of all Austria is at stake at this junc- 
ture Highly important events must have occurred at Paris, 
else Metternich would not have sent his confidant and assist- 
ant Hudelist, nor would Andreossi demand an audience in so 
impetuous a manner. Perhaps this intelligence may at length 
lead to a decision to-day, or we may at least contribute to such 
a result. I will write to the Archduke John, and ask him to 
see the emperor. Perhaps he will succeed better than I did 
in persuading my husband to take a determined stand.” 

She hastened to her writing-desk, and penned that mys- 
terious little note which she sent to the Archduke John in the 
book which she pretended he had lent to her. 


CHAPTER III. 

THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR, 

The emperor, in returning to his cabinet, like the empress, 
carefully locked the door behind him. He then turned 
hastily to the courier, who was standing near the opposite 
door, and was just bowing most ceremoniously to his maj- 
esty, 

“ Hudelist, it is really you, then ? ” asked the emperor. 
“ You left your post by the side of Metternich without obtain- 


27 


/ ^ 

V 

THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 

mg my permission to come to Vienna ? Could you not find 
any other man to bring your dispatches ? I had commis- 
sioned you to remain always by the side of Metternich, watch 
him carefully, and inform me of what he was doing and 
thinking.” 

“ Your majesty, I have brought my report with me,” said 
Hudelist ; “ and as for your majesty’s order that I should 
always remain by thl side of Count Metternich, I have hard- 
ly violated it by coming to Vienna, for I believe the Count 
will follow me in the course of a few days. Unless your maj- 
esty recalls him to Vienna, the Emperor Napoleon, I think, 
will expel him from Paris.” 

“ You do not say so ! ” exclaimed Francis, shrugging his 
shoulders. “ You think he will issue a manifesto against 
Metternich, as he did against the Prussian minister Von 
Stein ? Well, let me hear the news. What have you to tell 
me?” 

“ So many important things, your majesty, that the count 
and myself deemed it expedient to report to your majesty 
verbally, rather than send a dispatch which might give 
you only an unsatisfactory idea of what has occurred. 
Hence I came post-haste to Vienna, and arrived here only a 
quarter of an hour since ; I pray your majesty therefore to 
pardon me for appearing before you in my travelling- 
dress.” 

“ Sit down, you must be tired,” said the emperor, good-na- 
turedly, seating himself in an arm-chair, and pointing to the 
opposite chair. “ Now tell me all ! ” 

“Your majesty,” said Hudelist, mysteriously, while a 
strange expression of mischievous joy overspread his ugly, 
pale face, “ the Emperor Napoleon has returned from Spain to 
France.” 

The Emperor Francis gave a start and frowned. “ Why ? ” 
he asked. 

“ Because he intends to declare war against Austria,” said 
Hudelist, whose face brightened more and more. “ Because 
Napoleon is distrustful of us, and convinced that Austria is 
intent on attacking him. Besides, he felt no longer at ease in 
Spain, and all sorts of conspiracies had been entered into in 
3 


28 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Paris, whereby his return might have been rendered impossi- 
ble if he had hesitated any longer.” 

“ Who were the conspirators ? ” 

“Talleyrand and Fouche, the dear friends and obedient 
servants of the Emperor Napoleon. He knows full well what 
their friendship and devotedness amount to. Hence he had 
the two gentlemen well watched, and it seems his spies sent 
him correct reports, for, after returning from Spain, he re- 
buked them unmercifully ; he told them, with the rage of 
a true Corsican, and regardless of etiquette, what miserable 
fellows they were, and how high he stood above them.” 

“ And yet he would like so much to be an emperor in strict 
accordance with court etiquette,” said the emperor, laughing. 
“ He is anxious to have such a court about him as Louis XIV. 
had. But the lawyer’s son always reappears in the emperor, 
and, if it please God, He will one day deprive him of all his 
power and splendor.” 

“And, if it please God, your majesty will be His in- 
strument in putting an end to Napoleon’s power and splen- 
dor,” cried Hudelist, with a smile which distorted his face 
strangely, and caused two rows of large yellow teeth to appear 
between the pale lips of his enormous mouth. “It is true 
he stands firm as yet, and rebukes his ministers as Nero did 
his freedmen. Talleyrand was still thunderstruck at what the 
emperor had told him, when he had an interview with Count 
Metternich and myself in Fouche’s green-house. To be sure, 
the phrases which he repeated to us were well calculated to 
make even the blood of a patient minister boil. Napoleon 
sent for the two ministers immediately after his arrival ; when 
they came to him, he let them stand at the door of his cabinet 
like humble suppliants, and, running up and down before 
them, and casting fiery glances of anger upon them, he up- 
braided them with their conduct, and told them he was aware 
of all their intrigues, and knew that they were conspiring 
with Austria, Spain, and, through Spain, with England. Then 
he suddenly stood still in front of them, his hands folded on 
his back, and his glances would have crushed the two minis- 
ters if they had not had such a thick skin 4 You are impudent 
enough to conspire against me ! ’ he shouted, in a thundering 


THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 


29 


voice. ‘ To whom are you indebted for every thing — for your 
honors, rank, and wealth ? To me alone ! How can you pre- 
serve them ? By me alone ! Look backward, examine your 
past. If the Bourbons had reascended the throne, both of you 
would have been hanged as regicides and traitors. And you 
plot against me ? You must be as stupid as you are ungrate- 
ful, if you believe that anybody else could promote your in- 
terest as well as I have done. Had another revolution 
broken out, on whatever side you might have placed your- 
selves, you would certainly have been the first to be crushed 
by it.’ ” * 

“ That is very plain talk, indeed,” said Francis, laughing. 
“ But Talleyrand and Fouche have sound stomachs ; they will 
digest it, and not get congestions in consequence of it pro- 
vided the emperor does not punish them in a different man- 
ner.” 

“ For the time being, he only punished Talleyrand, whom 
he deprived of the position and salary of lord chamberlain. 
Fouche remained police minister, but both are closely watched 
by Napoleon’s secret police. Nevertheless, they succeeded in 
holding a few unobserved interviews with us. Count Metter- 
nich learned also from another very well-informed quarter, 
many accurate details regarding the plans and intentions of 
the Emperor Napoleon.” 

“ What do you mean ? What well-informed quarter do 
you refer to ? ” asked the emperor. 

“Your majesty,” said Hudelist, with a significant grin, 
“ Count Metternich is a very fine-looking man ; now, Queen 
Caroline of Naples, Murat’s wife, and Napoleon’s favorite sis- 
ter, is by no means insensible to manly beauty, and she ac- 
cepted with evident satisfaction the homage which the count 
offered to her. For the rest, Napoleon winked at and encour- 
aged this flirtation ; for, previous to his departure for Spain, 
he said to his sister loud enough to be overheard by some of 
our friends, ‘ Amusez-nous ce niais , Monsieur de Metternich. 
Nous en avons hesoin a present ! ’ ” t Madame Caroline 

* Napoleon’s own words. — See Schlosser, “ History of the Eighteenth Cen- 
tury,” vol. viii., p. 488. 

t Hormayr, “ The Emperor Francis and Metternich, a Fragment, p. 55. 


30 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Murat told Count Metternich, for instance, that it is the Kings 
of Bavaria and Wiirtemburg that keep their spies for Napo- 
leon here in Vienna, and that they urged Napoleon vehemently 
to return from Spain in order to declare war against Austria. 
And Napoleon is determined to comply with their wishes. 
He travelled with extraordinary expedition from Madrid to 
Paris, stopping only at Valladolid, where he shut himself up 
for two days with Maret, his minister of foreign affairs, and 
dispatched eighty-four messages in different directions, with 
orders to concentrate his forces in Germany, and call out the 
full contingents of the Rhenish Confederacy. His own troops 
and these German Contingents are to form an army to which 
he intends to give the name of ‘ the German Army of the Em- 
peror Napoleon.’ Although Count Metternich was aware of 
all this, he hastened to attend the great reception which took 
place at the Tuileries after Napoleon’s return, in order to as- 
sure him again of the friendly dispositions of the imperial 
court of Austria. But Napoleon gave him no time for that. 
He came to meet him with a furious gesture, and shouted to 
him in a thundering voice : ‘Well, M. de Metternich ! here is 
fine news from Vienna. What does all this mean ? Have 
they been stung by scorpions ? Who threatens you ? What 
would you he at ? Ho you intend again to disturb the peace of 
the world and plunge Europe into numberless calamities ? As 
long as I had my army in Germany, you conceived no disquie- 
tude for your existence ; hut the moment it is transferred to 
Spain, you consider yourselves endangered ! What can be the 
end of these things ? What, but that I must arm as you arm, 
for at length I am seriously menaced ; I am rightly punished 
for my former caution.” * 

“ What an impudent fellow ! ” murmured the Emperor 
Francis to himself. “ And Metternich ? What did he re- 
ply ? ” 

“Nothing at all, your majesty. He withdrew, returned 
immediately to the legation, and I set out that very night to 
convey this intelligence to your majesty. Your majesty, we 
can no longer doubt that Napoleon has made up his mind to 
wage war against Austria. His exasperation has risen to the 
* Napoleon’s own words. — See Schlosser, vol. vii., p. 490. 


THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 


31 


highest pitch, and the events in Spain have still more in- 
flamed his rage and vindictiveness.” 

“ Then he is unsuccessful in Spain ? ” asked the emperor, 
whose eyes brightened. 

“ Spain is still bidding him defiance, and fighting with the 
enthusiasm of an heroic people who will suffer death rather 
than be subjugated by a tyrant. She will never accept King 
Joseph, whom Napoleon forced upon her ; and as they see 
themselves deserted and given up by their royal family, the 
Spanish patriots turn their eyes toward Austria, and are ready 
to proclaim one of your majesty’s brothers king of Spain, if 
your majesty would send him to them with an auxiliary 
army.” 

“ That would be' a nice thing! ” cried the emperor, angrily. 
“Not another word about it ! If my brothers should hear it, 
their heads would be immediately on fire, for they are veryam- 
bitious; hence, it is much better that they should not learn 
anything of these chateaux en Espagne. Tell me rather how 
it looks in France. Are the French still satisfied with their 
emperor by the grace of the people ! ” 

“ They are not, your majesty. Let me tell you that not only 
Napoleon’s own officers, his marshals and ministers, are dissat- 
isfied with him; but the whole people, those who possess 
money as well as those who own no other property than their 
lives, are murmuring against the emperor. He robs the mon- 
eyed men of their property by heavy taxes and duties, and 
those who have nothing but their lives he threatens with death 
by forcing muskets into their hands, and compelling them to do 
military service. Another conscription has been ordered, and 
as the population of France is decreasing, youths from sixteen 
to eighteen years old have to be enrolled. France is tired of 
these everlasting wars, and she curses Napoleon’s insatiable 
bloodthirstiness no longer in secret only, but loud enough to 
be heard by the emperor from time to time.” 

“And the army ? ” 

“The army is a part of France, and feels like the rest of the 
French people. The marshals are quarrelling among them- 
selves, and some of them hate Napoleon, who never gives them 
time to repose on their laurels and enjoy the riches which they 


32 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


have obtained during their campaigns. The army is a perfect 
hotbed of conspiracies and secret societies, some of which are in 
favor of the restoration of the republic, while others advocate 
the restoration of the Bourbons. Napoleon, who is served 
well enough at least by his spies, is aware of all these things. 
He is afraid of the discontent and disobedience of his marshals 
and generals, conspiracies in the army, the treachery of his 
ministers, and the murmurs of his people ; and he fears, be- 
sides, that the fanaticism of the Spaniards may dim his mili- 
tary glory; hence, he feels the necessity of arousing the 
enthusiasm of his people by fresh battles, of silencing the 
malcontents by new victories, and of reviving the heroic spirit 
of his army. He hopes to gain these victories in a war be- 
tween his German army and the Austrian forces. He is, there- 
fore. firmly resolved to wage war, and the only question now 
is, whether your majesty will anticipate him, or await a decla- 
ration of war on his part. This is about all I have to com- 
municate to your majesty; the vouchers and other papers I 
shall have the honor to deposit at the imperial chancery.” 

The emperor made no reply, but gazed into vacancy, deeply 
absorbed in his reflections. Hudelist fixed his small sparkling 
eyes on the bent form of the emperor ; and as he contemplated 
his care-worn, gloomy face, his flabby features, his protruding 
under-lip, his narrow forehead, and his whole emaciated and 
fragile form, an expression of scorn overspread the face of 
the counsellor ; and his large mouth and flashing eyes seemed 
to say, “ You are the emperor, but I do not envy you, for I am 
more than you are; I am a man who knows what he wants.” 

At this moment the clock commenced striking slowly, and 
its shrill notes aroused the emperor from his contemplation. 

“ Eleven o’clock,” he said, rising from his chair, “ the hour 
when I am to give an audience to the French ambassador. 
Hudelist, go to the chancery and wait there until I call you. 
You will not return to Paris anyhow, but resume your former 
position in the chancery of state. I am glad that you have 
returned, for I consider you a faithful, able, and reliable man, 
with whom I have good reason to be content, and who, I hope, 
will not betray my confidence. I know, Hudelist, you are 
ambitious, and would like to obtain a distinguished position. 


^THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 


33 


Well, serve me— do you hear ? — serve none but me honestly 
and faithfully ; watch everything and watch closely ; never 
think of obtaining the friendship and good graces of others, 
nor seeking for any other protectors, save me ; and I shall 
always be favorably disposed toward you, and see to it that 
the cravings of your ambition are satisfied. Go then, as I 
said before, to the chancery of state ; and on hearing me re- 
enter the room, step in again. There are many other things 
which I wish to tell you.” 

“ I see through him,” said Hudelist, looking with a smile 
after the emperor, who closed the door of the cabinet behind 
him, to repair to the small reception-room ; “ yes, I see through 
the emperor. He is glad of my return, for I am a good spy 
for him in regard to the doings of his brothers, of whom he is 
jealous, and whom he hates with all his heart. If I succeed 
one day in communicating to him things capable of rendering 
the archdukes suspicious to him, or even convicting them of a 
wrong committed against him, the emperor will reward and 
promote me, and, as he says, satisfy the cravings of my ambi- 
tion. Well, well, we shall see. If you watch a man very 
closely and are really intent on spying out something sus- 
picious in his conduct, you will in the end surely find some 
little hook or other by which you may hold him, and which you 
may gradually hammer out and extend until it becomes large 
enough to hang the whole man on it. In the first place, I 
shall pay particular attention to the Archduke John, for his 
brother is particularly jealous of and angry with him. Ah, if I 
could discovery such a little hook by which to hold him, the 
emperor would reward my zeal with money, honors, and 
orders, and he would henceforward repose the most implicit 
confidence in my fidelity. Well, I shall think of it; the idea 
is a good one, and worthy of being matured. I shall form a 
scheme to make the good and munificent Archduke John the 
ladder by which I shall rise. I must conquer, and if I can do 
it only by pulling down others, it is the duty of self-preserva- 
tion for me not to shrink from the task. I will now go to the 
chancery and wait there for the emperor’s return. Ah, how 
his old limbs trembled when he heard of Napoleon’s return. 
How hard and unpleasant it was for him to swallow the bad 


34 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


t 

news which I communicated to him! There is no more inter- 
esting spectacle than that presented by a human face passing 
through all the various stages of excitement, and involuntarily 
performing in its features the five acts of a tragedy. And all 
the better when this human face is that of an emperor. Dur- 
ing my whole journey from Paris to Vienna I was enjoying, 
by anticipation, the moment when I should deliver this Pan- 
dora’s box to the emperor. He is opposed to war, and must 
nevertheless wage it ; that is the best part of the joke. Aha ! 
it is a fine sight to behold the gods of this earth a prey to such 
human embarrassments ! I felt like bursting into loud laugh- 
ter at the woe-begone appearance of the emperor. But hush, 
hush! I will go to the chancery until he returns.” 

In the meantime the emperor had repaired to the small 
reception-room, where Count Andreossi, the French ambassa- 
dor, was already waiting for him. 

Francis responded to the respectful greeting of the am- 
bassador by a scarcely perceptible nod, and strode, with head 
erect, into the middle of the room. There he stood still, and 
casting a stern and almost defiant glance on the ambassador, 
he said in a cold, dignified tone: “You requested an audience 
of me in a very unusual manner. I granted it to prove to 
you my desire to remain at peace with France. Now speak; 
What has the ambassador of the Emperor of the French to 
say to the Emperor of Austria ? ” 

“ Your majesty, I have to present to you, in the first place, 
the respects of my master, who has returned from Spain to 
Paris.” 

Francis nodded his head slowly. “ What next ? ” he asked. 

“ Next, my sovereign has charged me with a very difficult 
commission, for the execution of which I must first, and above 
all things, beg your majesty’s pardon.” 

“You are your master’s servant, and it is your duty to obey 
him,” said the emperor, dryly. “Say, therefore, what he 
ordered you to tell me.” 

“Well, then, as your majesty has granted me permission, 
I will say that my master, the Emperor of the French, has 
taken deep umbrage at the hostile course which Austria has of 
late pursued toward him.” 


THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 


35 


“ And what is it that your emperor complains of ? ” asked 
the emperor, with perfect composure. 

“ In the first place, the Emperor Napoleon has taken deep 
umbrage at Austria’s still hesitating to recognize King Joseph 
as King of Spain, and to send a minister plenipotentiary to his 
court.” 

“ I did not know where to send my ambassador, and where 
he would find M. Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, for the 
time being — whether at Madrid or at Saragossa ; in the camp, 
on the field of battle, or in flight. Hence I did not send an 
ambassador to his court. So soon as the Spanish nation is 
able to inform me where I may look for the king it has elected 
and recognized, I shall immediately dispatch a minister pleni- 
potentiary to this court. State that to your monarch.” 

“ Next, his majesty the Emperor Napoleon complains bit- 
terly that Austria, instead of being intent on maintaining 
friendly relations with France, has left nothing undone to 
reconcile the enemies of France who were at war with each 
other, and to restore peace between them; and that Austria, 
by her incessant efforts, has really succeeded now in bringing 
about a treaty of peace between Turkey and England. Now, 
my master the emperor must look upon this as a hostile act 
on the part of Austria against France; for to reconcile Eng- 
land with Turkey is equivalent to setting France at variance 
with Turkey, or at least neutralizing entirely her influence 
over the Sublime Porte.” 

“ Turkey is my immediate neighbor, and it is highly impor- 
tant to Austria that there should be no war-troubles and dis- 
turbances on all her frontiers. Every independent state should 
be at liberty to pursue its own policy ; and while this policy 
does not assume a hostile attitude toward other independent 
states, no one can take umbrage at it. Are you through with 
your grievances ? ” 

“No, your majesty,” said Andreossi, almost mournfully. 
“ The worst and most unpleasant part remains to be told ; but, 
as your majesty was gracious enough to say, I must obey the 
orders of my master, and it is his will that I shall now com- 
municate to your majesty the emperor’s views in his own 
words. It has given great offence to the Emperor Napoleon 


36 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


that Austria should place herself in a posture of open hostility 
against France, when France has given her so many proofs of 
her forbearance, and has hitherto always spared Austria, not- 
withstanding the numerous acts of duplicity and evident hos- 
tility of the Austrian court. The Emperor Napoleon informs 
your majesty that he is well aware of the ambitious schemes 
of Austria, hut that he thinks your majesty is not strong 
enough to carry them into effect. He requests your majesty 
never to forget the magnanimity which the Emperor Napo- 
leon manifested toward you after the battle of Austerlitz. 
The Emperor Napoleon has instructed me to remind you of 
the fact, well known to you, that you can confide in his gen- 
erosity, and that he is firmly resolved to observe the treaties. 
Naples, Prussia, and Spain, would stand erect, yet, if their 
rulers had relied on their own sagacity, and not listened to 
the fatal advice of their ministers, or even of courtiers, women, 
and ambitious young princes. His majesty beseeches the Em- 
peror of Austria not to listen to such insidious advice, nor to 
yield to the wishes of the war-party, which is intent only on 
gratifying its passionate ambition, and whose eyes refuse to 
see that it is driving Austria toward the brink of an abyss 
where she must perish, as did Prussia, Naples, and Spain.”* 

u It is very kind in his majesty the Emperor Napoleon to 
give me such friendly advice,” said the Emperor Francis, 
smiling. “ But I beg his majesty to believe that, in accord- 
ance with his wishes, I rely only on my own individual saga- 
city; that I am influenced by no party, no person, but am 
accustomed to direct myself the affairs of my country and the 
administration of my empire, and not to listen to any insinua- 
tions, from whatever quarter they may come. I request you 
to repeat these words to his majesty the Emperor Napoleon, 
with the same accuracy with which you communicated his 
message to me. And now, Count Andreossi, I believe you 
have communicated to me all that your master instructed you 
to say to me.” 

“ Pardon me, your majesty, I am instructed last to demand 
in the emperor’s name an explanation as to the meaning of 
the formidable armaments of Austria, the organization of the 

* Hormayr, “ Allgemeine Geschichte,” vol. iii., p. 205. 


THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 


37 


militia, and the arming of the fortresses on the frontiers, and 
to inquire against whom these measures are directed. The 
emperor implores your majesty to put a stop to these useless 
and hurtful demonstrations, and orders me expressly to state 
that, if Austria does not stop her armaments and adopt meas- 
ures of an opposite character, war will be inevitable.” * 

“ In that case, Mr. Ambassador of the Emperor Napoleon, 
war is inevitable,” cried Francis, who now dropped the mask 
of cold indifference, and alio wed his face to betray the agita- 
tion and rage filling his bosom, by his quivering features, 
flashing eyes, and clouded brow. “ I have calmly listened to 
you,” he added, raising his voice; “ I have received with silent 
composure all the arrogant phrases which you have ventured 
to utter here in the name of your emperor. I look on them as 
one of the famous proud bulletins for which your emperor is 
noted, and to whose overbearing and grandiloquent language 
all Europe is accustomed. But it is well known too that these 
bulletins are not exactly models of veracity, but sometimes the 
very reverse of it. An instance of the latter is your emperor’s 
assertion that he observes the treaties, and that he gave me 
proofs of his magnanimity after the battle of Austerlitz. No, 
the emperor did no such thing; he made me, on the contrary, 
feel the full weight of his momentary superiority. He was 
my enemy, and treated me as an enemy, without magnanimity, 
which, for the rest, I did not claim at the time. But he has 
proved to me, too, that he does not observe the most sacred 
treaties. He violated every section of the peace of Presburg; 
he did not respect the frontiers as stipulated in that treaty ; he 
forced me, in direct violation of the treaties, to allow him the 
permanent use of certain military roads within the boundaries 
of my empire; he hurled from their thrones dynasties which 
were related to me, and whose existence I had guaranteed ; he 
deprived, in violation of the law of nations, the beloved and 
universally respected head of Christendom of his throne, and 
subjected him to a most disgraceful imprisonment; he exerted 
on all seas the most arbitrary pressure on the Austrian flag. 
And now, after aU this has happened, after Austria has endured 

* Napoleon’s own words.— See “ Lebensbilder,” vol. ii., and Hormayr, “ All- 
gemeine Gesckichte,” vol. iii. 


38 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


all these wrongs so long and silently, the Emperor Napoleon 
undertakes even to meddle with the internal administration of 
my empire, and forbids me what he, ever since his accession, 
has incessantly done, to wit : to mobilize my army, levy con- 
scripts for the troops of the line and the reserves, and arm the 
fortresses. He asks me to put a stop to my armaments ; else, 
he says, war will be inevitable. Well, Mr. Ambassador, I do 
not care if the Emperor Napoleon looks at the matter in that 
light, and I shall not endeavor to prevent him from so doing, 
for I shall not stop, but continue my preparations. I called 
out the militia, just as the Emperor of the French constantly 
calls new levies of conscripts into immediate activity ; and if 
war should be inevitable in consequence thereof, I shall bear 
what is inevitable with firmness and composure.” 

“ Your majesty, is this your irrevocable resolution ? ” asked 
Andreossi. “ Is this the answer that I am to send to my mas- 
ter, the Emperor Napoleon ?” 

“ I think it will be better for you to convey this answer in 
person to your emperor,” said Francis, calmly. “ As no one 
has witnessed our interview, only you yourself can repeat my 
words with perfect accuracy ; and it is therefore best for you 
to set out this very day for Paris.” 

“ That is to say, your majesty gives me my passports, and 
war will immediately break out between France and Aus- 
tria ! ” sighed Andreossi. “ Your majesty should graciously 
consider — ” 

“ I have considered every thing,” interrupted Francis, vehe- 
mently, “ and I request you not to speak to me again in the 
style of your French bulletins. I will hear the bulletins of 
the Emperor Napoleon on the field of battle rather than in my 
cabinet. Set out, therefore, for Paris, Mr. Ambassador, and 
repeat to the emperor what I have said to you.” 

“ I will comply with your majesty’s orders,” said An- 
dreossi, with a sigh ; “I will set out, but I shall leave the 
members of my legation here as yet, for I do not yet give up 
the hope that it may be possible for the two courts to avoid a 
declaration of war, and to spare such a calamity to two coun- 
tries that have such good reasons to love each other.” 

“Let us quietly await the course of events,” replied the 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


39 


emperor. “Farewell, Count Andreossi. If you will accept 
my advice, you will set out this very day ; for so soon as my 
dear Viennese learn that war is to break out in earnest, they 
will probably give vent to their enthusiasm in the most tu- 
multuous and rapturous demonstrations, and I suppose it 
would be disagreeable to you to witness them. Farewell, 
sir!” 

He waved his hand toward the ambassador, bent his head 
slowly and haughtily, and left the reception-room without 
vouchsafing another glance to Count Andreossi. 

“ Now my brothers will be in ecstasies,” said the emperor 
to himself, slowly walking up and down, his hands folded on 
his back, in the sitting-room adjoining the reception-room. 
“ They will be angry, though, because I did not consult them, 
and decided the whole affair without listening to their wis- 
dom.” 

“Your majesty,” said a footman, who entered the room 
at this moment, “their imperial highnesses, the Archdukes 
Charles and John, request an audience of your majesty.” 

“They are welcome,” said the emperor, whose features 
were lit up by a faint smile. “ Show my brothers in.” 


CHAPTER IV. 

THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 

A few minutes afterward the two archdukes entered the 
room of the emperor, who slowly went some steps to meet 
them, and greeted them with a grave, cold glance. 

“ Why, this is a rare spectacle,” said Francis, sneeringly, 
“ to see my brothers side by side in such beautiful harmony. 
In truth, it was only wanting to me that even you two should 
be of the same opinion, and come to me for the purpose of 
inviting me, as Schiller says, to be the third in your league.” 

“ Your majesty would always be the first in this league,” 
said the Archduke John, in his clear, ringing voice ; “ my 
brother would be the second, and I only the third.” 


40 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ See, see, my brother is very modest and humble to-day,” 
said Francis, smiling. “ This means doubtless that you have 
come to ask a favor of me, and that, by your kindness and 
devotedness, you wish to induce me to comply with your re- 
quest, as a dog is decoyed with cakes and sweets by the thief 
who intends to steal something from the dog’s master.” 

“ Oh, your majesty, we do not intend to steal any thing 
from our master! ” exclaimed John, laughing. “ But there is 
really an attack to be made on our master’s property ; only lie 
who intends to make it does not decoy us with cakes and 
sweets, but assails us with the sword and coarse invectives.” 

“ It was very shrewd in you to mention at once the subject 
on which you wished to speak with me,” said the emperor, 
with a slight sneer. “ But permit me first to say a word to my 
brother Charles there, and bid welcome to his imperial high- 
ness, the illustrious captain, the generalissimo of our army, 
the hope and consolation of Austria.” 

“Your majesty wishes to mock me,” said the Archduke 
Charles, in a mournful voice. 

“I repeat only what I read every day in the newspapers., 
and what the dear Viennese are singing and shouting in every 
street! ” exclaimed the emperor. “Yes, yes, my dear brother, 
you must consent to be the hope and consolation of Austria, 
and to be praised as the august and invincible hero of our im- 
mediate future.” 

So saying, the emperor gazed with a long and searching 
look at his brother’s form, and a scornful expression over- 
spread his features. 

Indeed, the epithets which the emperor had applied to his 
brother corresponded but little to the appearance of the Arch- 
duke Charles. His small, bent form, with its weak, shrivelled 
limbs, was not the form of a hero ; his pale, wan face, with 
the hollow cheeks ; the dim eyes deeply imbedded in their 
sockets, and the clouded brow, on which thin tufts of hair 
hung down, was not the face of a bold captain, confident of 
achieving brilliant triumphs by his heroic deeds, and deserv- 
ing of the name of the hope and consolation of Austria. But 
the Austrians did call him by that name, and the glory of his 
military achievements, which filled not only Austria but the 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


41 


whole of Germany, caused them really to build their hopes on 
the Archduke Charles, despite his very feeble health. The 
Emperor Francis was aware of this ; he knew that the Arch- 
dukes Charles and John were by far more popular than he 
was ; hence he was jealous of and angry with them — nay, he 
almost hated them. 

“ You look very pale and sick to-day, my dear Archduke 
Charles,” said the emperor, after a pause, during which he 
had contemplated the archduke with a searching expression. 

“I am very feeble and unwell, your majesty,” sighed 
Charles ; “ and but for the special request of my brother, the 
Archduke John, I should not have dared to come here this 
morning. However, I am afraid that I can do but little to 
comply with his wishes, and that my brother John will soon 
think it would have been better for him not to ask me to ac- 
company him to your majesty.” 

“Ah, then, you are after all not so harmonious as I 
thought when I saw you entering here together ! ” exclaimed 
the emperor, laughing. “ There are still differences of opin- 
ion, then, between the two pillars of my throne, and were I 
to lean on one, the other would totter and give way. Well, 
what do you want ? What brought you here ? ” 

“ Your majesty, only the intense desire to dedicate our 
services to Austria and our emperor!” exclaimed John, en- 
thusiastically. “We wished to implore your majesty to utter 
at length the word that will deliver Austria and all Germany. 
Your majesty, this hesitation and silence rests like a night- 
mare on every heart and every bosom ; all eyes are fixed 
hopefully on your majesty. Oh, my lord and emperor, one 
word from your lips, and this nightmare will disappear ; all 
hearts will rejoice in blissful ecstasy, and every bosom will 
expand and breathe more freely when your majesty shall 
utter this word : ‘War! war!’ We hold the sword in our 
hands ; let the will of my august emperor give us the right 
now to draw the sword against him who, for years past, has 
swept like a destructive hurricane through all Germany, all 
Europe, and who tramples alike on princes and peoples, on 
liberty and law. Your majesty, in the name of your people, 
in the name of all German patriots, I bend my knees here be- 


42 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


fore my lord and emperor, and thus, kneeling and full of rev- 
erence, I implore your majesty to let the hour of deliverance 
strike at length ; let us, with joyful courage, expel the enemy 
who has already so long been threatening our frontiers w T ith 
defiant arrogance : let us take the field against the impudent 
usurper, and wrest from him the laurels which he gained at 
Austerlitz, and of which he is so proud. Your majesty, your 
people are filled with warlike ardor ; your faithful Tyrolese 
are waiting only for a signal to break their chains and rise 
for their beloved emperor. Your Italian provinces are long- 
ing for the day when war shall break out, in order to avenge 
themselves on the tyrant who promised them liberty and 
brought them only slavery. The hour of retribution has 
come for Napoleon ; may your majesty consult our best inter- 
ests by saying that we are to profit by this hour, and that war, 
a mortal struggle, is to begin now against the Emperor of the 
French ! ” 

And, still bending his knees before the emperor, John 
looked up to him with longing, beseeching eyes. 

Francis looked down on him with a gloomy air, and the 
noble and enthusiastic face of his brother, w T ho was ten years 
younger, and much stronger and better-looking, made a dis- 
agreeable impression on him. 

“ Rise, brother,” he said, coldly ; “ your knees must ache, 
and I, for my part, do not like such theatrical scenes at all, 
and such fine phrases make but little impression on my cold 
and prosy heart. I am accustomed to follow always my con- 
victions, and when I advance a step, I must be sure not to fall 
into an abyss which some poetical hero may perhaps have 
merely covered for me with his flowery phrases. That I am 
aware of the dangers threatening us on the part of France I 
have proved by putting the army on the war footing, by in- 
trusting you, Archduke John, with organizing the militia and 
the reserves in accordance with the plan you drew up for that 
purpose ; and by placing you, Archduke Charles, at the head 
of my army and appointing you generalissimo. ” 

“ An honor, your majesty, which I accepted with reverent 
gratitude, although it almost crushes me at the present time,” 
said the Archduke Charles, with a sigh. “ Permit me now, 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


43 


your majesty, to open my heart to you, and lay my innermost 
thoughts at your feet. To do so, I accompanied my brother 
John to you. He said he would implore your majesty once 
more to postpone the declaration of war no longer, but utter 
at length the decisive word. I implored him not to do so, 
and not to force us to engage prematurely in a war that could 
not but bring the greatest calamities on Austria. But my dear 
brother would not listen to my remonstrances and prayers ; 
he called me a secret friend and admirer of Napoleon ; he de- 
manded that I should at least speak out freely and openly in 
your majesty’s presence, and refute him if I could, or yield to 
him if my arguments should prove untenable. Your majesty, 
I have therefore complied with the wishes of my brother, the 
Archduke John ; I have come to you, but only to say to my 
lord and emperor : Your majesty, I implore you, in the name 
of your people and your throne, do not yet un sheath the 
sword ! Wait until our army is ready for the contest, and 
until our armaments are completed. Do not plunge rash- 
ly into war, lest victory escape us. A great deal remains 
to be done yet before we can say that our armaments are 
completed ; and only after being fully prepared can we dare 
to take the field against the Emperor Napoleon and his hither- 
to victorious legions.” 

“Ah, do you hear our Fabius Cunctator, brother John, 
the Lion-hearted ! ” exclaimed the emperor, sarcastically. 
“ Which of you is right, and whose wise advice shall I follow 
now — I, the poor emperor, who is not strong and sagacious 
enough to be his own adviser and advance a step without his 
brothers ? John, the learned soldier, beseeches me to declare 
war, and Charles, the intrepid hero, implores me not to do so. 
What am I, the poor emperor, who cannot advise himself, and 
who receives too much advice from others, to do under such 
circumstances ? Whose will must I submit to ? ” 

“ Your majesty,” cried John, in dismay, “ it is we that must 
submit ; it is your will on which depends the decision. I im- 
plore your majesty to declare war, because I deem it necessary ; 
but, if your majesty should take a different resolution, I shall 
submit silently and obediently.” 

“And I,” said Charles, “requested you to postpone the 
4 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


44 

declaration of war, because I do not believe that we are suffi- 
ciently prepared for the contest ; but, like my brother, I shall 
submit silently if your majesty should take a different resolu- 
tion.” 

“ Indeed, will you do so, archdukes ? ” asked the emperor, 
in a scornful tone. “Will you be mindful of your duties as 
subjects, and, instead of giving me unnecessary advice, obey 
me silently ? ” 

The two archdukes bowed to indicate their submissiveness. 
The emperor advanced a few steps, and proudly raising his 
head, he looked at his two brothers with a stern and imperious 
expression. 

“ Let me tell you, then, archdukes, what I, your lord and 
emperor, have resolved,” said Francis, sternly. “ I have re- 
solved to declare war ! ” 

Two loud cries resounded with one accord ; a cry of joy 
burst from John’s lips, a cry of dismay from those of Charles. 
Pale, reeling like a drunken man, the generalissimo ap- 
proached the emperor and held out his hands to him with a 
beseeching expression. 

“ Your majesty,” he said, “ you have resolved to declare 
war, but you do not mean to say that it is to commence im- 
mediately ? ” 

“ That is what I mean to say,” replied the emperor, sarcas- 
tically. 

The Archduke Charles turned still paler than before ; a 
strange tremor passed through his frame, his head dropped on 
his bosom, and a deep groan issued from his breast. 

The Archduke John, forgetful of his quarrel with his 
brother Charles, at the sight of the latter’s profound grief, 
hastened to him, and tenderly grasped both his hands. 

“ Brother,” he asked, anxiously, “ what is the matter ? Are 
you unwell ? ” 

“ I am,” said Charles, wiping from his forehead the large 
drops of sweat standing on it. “ I am unwell, but I must say 
a few additional words to the emperor. I must disclose to 
him a melancholy secret of which I heard only an hour ago. 
— Your majesty, I implore you once more, postpone the war 
as long as possible ; for — hear my terrible secret — we have 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


45 


been infamously defrauded by Commissary-General von Fass- 
bender.” 

“ Your intimate friend ? ” interposed the emperor, with a 
scornful laugh. 

“Yes, my intimate friend,” exclaimed the archduke, in a 
loud, shrill voice ; “ he deceived me most shamefully. All 
the army contracts had been intrusted to him, and he assured 
me he had filled them in the most conscientious manner. 
I believed him, and it is only now that I find out that he has 
shamefully deceived me and his emperor. All his bills for 
the supplies which he pretended to have furnished are in my 
hands, but the troops did not get the supplies. The scoundrel 
sent only sour flour, bad linen, and moth-eaten uniform cloth 
to the regiments, and yet he drew enormous sums of money 
for the full amount of his contracts.” 

“We shall compel the thief to disgorge his ill-gotten 
gains,” cried the emperor. 

“ No, your majesty,” said Charles, with a groan ; and lean- 
ing more firmly on his brother’s arm, in order not to sink to 
the floor, he added : “ no, your majesty, the criminal is be- 
yond the reach of your power. He escaped from human 
justice by committing suicide an hour ago. The criminal 
has fled from his judges, but his crimes remain, and our army 
suffers in consequence of them. Now your majesty knows 
all, you will take back your word, and say no longer that you 
will declare war. You will be gracious enough to give me 
time to repair the injury resulting from the crimes of the 
commissary-general, and to provide the army with all that 
is unfortunately wanting to it as yet.” 

“No,” cried the emperor vehemently, “ I will not ! I will 
not take back my word, and I had already made up my mind 
before you, my brothers, entered here to assist me so generous- 
ly by your wisdom. War will be declared immediately ; my 
resolution is irrevocable. I have already informed the French 
ambassador of it, and ordered him to leave Vienna this very 
day. Your warnings come just as much too late as did John’s 
entreaties. I did what I myself deemed best ; and I deemed 
it best to declare war against Bonaparte, in reply to his in- 
tolerable arrogance. Every thing is fixed and settled ; war 


46 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


will commence without delay : and you, Archduke Charles, 
are the generalissimo of my army.” 

The Archduke Charles made no reply ; he uttered a pain- 
ful groan and sank to the floor by John’s side. All his limbs 
trembled and quivered ; his pale face became distorted, he 
clinched his fists, and his eyes were glassy as though he w r ere 
dying. 

“ He has one of his fits,” said the emperor calmly, looking 
down on his brother. “ Call his servants and his doctor, 
Archduke John, that they may remove the generalissimo to 
another room and administer medicine to him.” 

John rushed to the door, and soon the servants and the 
physician, who always accompanied the Archduke Charles, 
hastened into the room. They lifted with practised hands the 
archduke, who was still writhing in convulsions, and carried 
him tenderly out of the room. 

John, who, with touching solicitude, had remained near 
the sufferer, would have accompanied him ; but a word from 
the emperor called him back. 

u Stay a moment, archduke,” said Francis ; “ the Archduke 
Charles only has his fits, and his servants will take care of 
him. I have yet to speak a few words with you. This will 
be a formidable war, brother, and we must see to it that it 
breaks out at the same time in all quarters of our empire, and 
that the people rise with one accord and take up arms. We 
have made our preparations everywhere, and our emissaries 
have done their duty ; they have everywhere enlisted friends 
of our cause, and established committees which have made 
all necessary dispositions for the defence of the country. You 
yourself sent your emissary, Baron von Hormayr, to your 
beloved Tyrol ; if I am correctly informed, he has already 
returned to Vienna.” 

“Your majesty, he arrived here this morning,” said John, 
looking at his brother with an air of surprise and even ter- 
ror. 

This did not escape the emperor, and a smile of satisfaction 
lit up his face. 

“ You see, my agents serve me very well, and I am aware 
of all that is going on,” said Francis, gravely. “ I know, too, 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


47 


that Baron von Hormayr has returned to Vienna not alone, 
but accompanied by some good friends. I believe you did not 
come here to give me your advice, but to beg permission to re- 
ceive your Tyrolese friends at your palace to-night.” 

“What !” asked John, surprised ; “your majesty is aware 
of this, too ? ” 

“ I have told you already that my agents serve me very 
well. Let this be a warning to you not to do or undertake 
any thing that you would like to conceal from me. I know 
that Andreas Hofer is here, to concert with you some sort of 
plan for the insurrection of the Tyrol. Under the present 
circumstances I permit you to do so, for it is really important 
that the German and Italian Tyrol should rise ; and as we are 
going to have war, we will strive to recover our Tyrol. But 
we must proceed cautiously, and the world must not find out 
that we instigated the Tyrolese to rise in arms. That would 
be setting a bad example to the other nations of our empire. 
We may at times profit by popular insurrections, but must be- 
ware of letting the world know that we ourselves brought 
them about. Hence, I do not want to know any thing of 
your Tyrolese, and shall not grant them an audience. But I 
permit you to do so, and you may tell these brave Tyrolese, 
too, that I should be glad if they would become again my dear 
subjects.” 

“ Your majesty,” exclaimed John, joyously, “these words 
of their emperor will be the signal for them to rise as one 
man, take their rifles, and expel the Evil One, that is to say, 
the Bavarians.” 

“I shall be glad to see the Tyrolese do so, and, moreover, do 
it in time,” said the emperor, nodding his head. “ Repeat my 
words to Andreas Hofer, brother John, and pledge him my 
word that, if we recover the Tyrol this time, we shall never 
give it up again. But Andreas Hofer must hehave with great 
prudence, and not show himself to the public here, but keep 
in the background, that the police may wink at his presence 
in Vienna, and act as though they did not see him and his 
friends. And now, brother, farewell, and inquire if the gen- 
eralissimo has recovered from his fit. It would be bad, in- 
deed, if these fits should befall him once in the midst of a bat- 


48 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tie. Well, let us Rope for the best for us all, and especially 
for the Tyrol. You have now a great task before you, John, 
for you will receive a command ; you shall assist the Tyrolese 
in shaking off the foreign yoke.” 

“Oh, my lord and emperor,” exclaimed John, with a radi- 
ant face and fiery glance, “ how kind and gracious you are 
to-day ! It is the heart of a brother that speaks out of your 
mouth — of a brother who wishes to make me happy, and 
knows how to do so. Yes, send me with a corps to the assist- 
ance of the Tyrolese ; let me bring freedom and salvation to 
my beloved mountaineers. That is a task which fills me with 
boundless ecstasy, and for which I shall always be grateful 
and devoted to you, brother.” 

“Be devoted to your emperor, archduke,” said Francis, 
smiling; “the brothers will get along well enough ; they 
have nothing to do with politics and public affairs. Fare- 
well, John. But, remember, we shall meet again to-day, for 
I shall summon the ministers and generals to a consultation, 
and you will, of course, be present. Once more, then, fare- 
well !” 

He nodded repeatedly to the archduke and left the room 
with unusual quickness. The emperor walked hastily and 
with a gloomy face through the adjoining room, and entered 
his cabinet, the door of which he closed rather noisily. 

“ I am to let him bring freedom and salvation to his be- 
loved mountaineers,” murmured Francis to himself — “ to his 
mountaineers ! I believe he would be glad if they really were 
his, and if he could become King of the Tyrol. Well, we 
shall see. I have lulled his suspicion by permitting him to 
hold intercourse with the Tyrolese, and concert plans with 
them. We shall see how far my brother will go, and what his 
gratitude and devotion will amount to. It is a troublesome 
burden for me to have such dangerously ambitious and re- 
nowned brothers, against whom I must be constantly on my 
guard. I would I could pick them off as quickly as I remove 
the flies from this wall.” 

So saying, he took from the table the fly -flap which had al- 
ways to lie on it in readiness, and entered upon his favorite 
amusement, the pursuit of the flies on the wall and furniture, 


THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 


49 


which his servants took good care not to drive from the em- 
peror’s cabinet, because Francis would never have pardoned 
them for spoiling his sport. 

Walking along the walls with a rapid step, the emperor 
commenced killing the flies. 

u Ha ! ” he exclaimed, striking a fly, “ ha ! brother Charles, 
this stroke is intended for you. Eeally, there lies the fly 
writhing, as the generalissimo did, on the floor. But he has 
a tougher life than the fly ; for the fly will writhe until it is 
dead, but the generalissimo always revives ; and when he has 
no fits, he is a very brave and illustrious man, before whom 
his emperor must humbly stand aside. I cannot take the fly- 
flap and strike his writhing limbs as I do this miserable fly, 
the little Archduke Charles, that is writhing on the floor 
there. So, now you are dead, confounded little brother 
Charles, and we will hunt for your brother John. See, see, 
there he sits on the wall, cleaning his wings and making him- 
self tidy and pretty. There ! There is an affectionate blow 
from your imperial brother, and you are done for. Now you 
will never fly to your mountaineers and bring them freedom 
and salvation. You will, on the contrary, stick to the wall of 
your emperor’s room, and learn that your brother is your 
master. Why, this is most amusing sport to day ! I shall 
not stop before killing a dozen Archdukes Charles and 
John ! ” 

And Francis hunted eagerly on the walls and the furniture 
for other flies, which he pursued and killed with his fly-flap, 
always applying the name of Charles to one, and that of John 
to the next. 

In the excitement of this strange sport he had not noticed 
that, soon after he entered the cabinet, the door had opened, 
and Counsellor von Hudelist had come in. Francis did not 
remember at that moment that he had given express orders to 
Hudelist to re-enter the cabinet as soon as he heard the em- 
peror return to it ; he had fixed his thoughts exclusively on 
the cruel pleasure of killing the flies Charles and John, and 
Hudelist took good care not to disturb him in this pleasant 
pastime. He stood leaning against the wall close to the door ; 
his small, flashing eyes followed every motion of the emperor 


50 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


with rapt attention, and whenever Francis, on killing a fly, 
pronounced the name of either of his brothers in a triumphant 
tone, a malicious smile overspread the pale and ugly face of 
the counsellor. 

Now, however, Francis, in hunting for flies, had arrived 
at the extreme end of the room. Until then, his hack had 
been turned to Hudelist. If he should turn now and continue 
his sport on the other side of the room, he would discover 
him, and be disagreeably surprised at his presence. There- 
fore, before the emperor turned, Hudelist opened once more 
the door near which he was standing, and closed it rather 
noisily. 

The emperor turned and asked gay ly : “Well, what is it, 
Mr. Counsellor ? ” 

“ Your majesty ordered me to return to the cabinet as soon 
as you should be back.” 

“ But I returned some time ago,” said Francis, casting a 
distrustful, searching glance on Hudelist. 

“ Pardon me, your majesty, I believed I heard you only 
just now close the door, and had until then vainly waited for 
some sound in the cabinet,” replied Hudelist, with a perfectly 
innocent expression of countenance. “ The second door sepa- 
rating the conference-room from your majesty’s cabinet is so 
heavily lined with cushions as to render it almost impervious 
to sound, and I beg your pardon again for not having heard 
despite the most eager attention.” 

The emperor’s face had again entirely cleared up. “Never 
mind,” he said ; “ I am glad that those in the adjoining room 
cannot hear what is going on here. I like to have ears for all, 
but do not like anybody to have ears for me. Now let me 
hear what you have brought for me from Paris.” 

“ Above all things, your majesty, I succeeded in obtaining, 
for a considerable sum of money, the receipt for making Span- 
ish sealing-wax, from a Spanish refugee, who was formerly 
employed at the royal sealing-wax factory of Madrid, and was 
perfectly familiar with the formula for making it. Your 
majesty knows that this receipt is a secret, and that the officers 
and workmen employed at the factory must even swear an 
oath not to divulge it.” 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.” 


51 


“ And you obtained the receipt nevertheless, and brought 
it with you ? ” inquired the emperor. 

“ Here it is, your majesty.” 

Francis hastily seized the paper which Hudelist handed to 
him with a respectful bow. 

“ See, see, this is a very kind service which you have ren- 
dered me, and I shall be grateful for it !” he exclaimed. 
‘‘You shall test the receipt with me alone; we will try it 
right away. But hold on ; I must first tell you some grave 
news. We shall declare war. I have already told the French 
ambassador to leave Vienna to-day, and Metternicli can come 
home too. I will hold a council of the ministers and generals 
to-day. Tell the functionaries at the chancery to inform the 
ministers, archdukes, and generals that I wish to see them in 
the conference-room at four. Make haste, and then come to 
my laboratory. We will try the Spanish receipt.” 


CHAPTER V. 

THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.” 

A brilliant festival was to take place to-night in the large 
aula of the Vienna University. All the composers, musicians, 
dilettanti , and amateurs of Vienna, had joyously consented to 
participate in it. The most distinguished names of the aris- 
tocracy and the artistic circles of Vienna were at the head of 
the committee of arrangements. Among those names were 
those of the Princes Lichnowsky and Lichtenstein, the Count- 
esses Kaunitz and Spielmann, of Beethoven and Salieri, 
Kreutzer and Clementi, and finally, those of the poets Collin 
and Carpani. 

Every one wished to participate in this festival, which was 
to render homage to the veteran German composer, the great 
Joseph Haydn, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth perform- 
ance of the maestro’s great work, “ The Creation.” Ten years 
had elapsed since the first performance of “ The Creation ” at 
Vienna, and already the sublime composition had made the 


52 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tour of Europe, and had been performed amid the most en- 
thusiastic applause in London and Paris, in Amsterdam and 
St. Petersburg, in Berlin, and all the large and small cities of 
Germany. Everywhere it had excited transports of admira- 
tion ; everywhere delighted audiences had greeted with raptur- 
ous enthusiasm this beautiful music, so full of holy ardor and 
childlike piety, this great work of the German composer, 
Joseph Haydn. 

To-day the twenty-fifth performance of “The Creation” 
was to take place at Vienna, and Joseph Haydn himself w T as 
to be present at the concert. The committee of arrangements 
had invited him, and he had accepted the invitation. Al- 
though his seventy-seven years were resting heavily on his 
head, and had paralyzed his strength, he could not withstand 
the honorable request of his friends and admirers, and he had 
replied with a touching smile to the committee of arrange- 
ments, whose delegates had conveyed the invitation to him : 
“ I shall come to take leave of the world with my ‘Creation,’ 
and bid a last farewell to my dear Viennese. You will often 
yet sing my ‘ Creation,’ but I shall hear it for the last time ! ” 

“ For the last time ! ” These were the w r ords which had 
thrilled all the friends and admirers of the maestro, and filled 
them with the ardent desire to greet him once more, and ren- 
der him homage for the last time. For all felt and knew that 
Haydn had spoken the truth, and that his end was drawing 
near. All, therefore, longed to take part in this last tri- 
umph of the composer of “ The Creation,” whom death had 
already touched with its inexorable finger. 

Hence, there was a perfect jam in front of the university 
building; the equipages of the high nobility formed two im- 
mense lines down the long street; like a black, surging stream, 
rising from moment to moment, the part of the audience 
arriving on foot moved along the houses and between the 
double line of carriages toward the entrance of the building. 

Thousands had vainly applied for admission at the ticket- 
office ; there was room only for fifteen hundred persons in the 
aula and the adjoining rooms, and perhaps as many thousands 
had come to hear the concert. As they could not be admitted 
into the hall, they remained in the street in front of the build- 


53 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.” 

ing ; as they could not hear Haydn’s music, they wished at 
least to see his face and cheer him on his arrival at the door. 

But there was a surging crowd also in the festively-deco- 
rated university hall. All had come in their holiday attire, 
and joy and profound emotion beamed from all faces. 
Friends shook hands and greeted each other with radiant eyes ; 
and even those who did not know each other exchanged kindly 
greetings and pleasant smiles on seating themselves side by 
side, and looked at each other as though they were friends and 
acquaintances, and not entire strangers. 

For all felt the great importance of this hour ; all felt them- 
selves Germans, owing to the homage which they were to 
render to the German maestro and to German music ; and all 
knew that this festival would be looked upon beyond the Rhine 
as a hostile demonstration of the Germans against French pride 
and arrogance. They wished to show to France that, although 
Germany was dismembered, the heart of the Germans 
throbbed for Germany and German art, and that they did not 
feel at all alarmed at the grandiloquent threats of the Em- 
peror of the French, but yielded with undisturbed equanim- 
ity to the enjoyment of German art. While the threatening 
words of the Emperor Napoleon were resounding, like ringing 
war-fanfares, from Paris, the Viennese desired to respond to 
him by the beautiful notes of sublime music ; and, regardless 
of the growls of the lion beyond the Rhine, they wished to de- 
light in the soul-stirring harmonies of u The Creation.” 

All preparations were now completed. The hall was all 
ablaze with the wax-lights which were beaming down from 
those gigantic lustres, and whose rays were reflected in the 
large mirrors covering the walls. The imperial box was splen- 
didly festooned with rare flowers, and decorated with carpets 
and gilt candelabra, whose enormous wax -lights filled the 
interior of the spacious box with broad daylight. 

Opposite the imperial box, on the other side of the hall, 
rose the large tribune destined for an orchestra of eighty per- 
formers and a choir of one hundred singers. All the latter, 
too, were in joyous spirits ; all were animated to-day, not by 
the envy and jealousy so often to be found among artistes, but 
by the one great desire to contribute their share to the homage 


54 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


to be rendered to German art. They did not wish to-day to 
exhibit themselves and their artistic skill, but desired only to 
render homage to the music of the great maestro, and to Ger- 
man art. 

And now the hour was at hand when the concert was to 
commence. The audience had taken their seats, the orchestra 
ceased tuning their instruments, the singers were in readiness, 
and the committee of arrangements had gone down to the 
street-door to await Haydn’s arrival. 

The door of the imperial box opened at this moment, and 
the emperor and empress entered, followed by the archdukes 
and their suites. To-day for the first time the audience took 
no notice of these august persons; they did not rise to greet 
the imperial couple and the archdukes. No one had perceived 
their arrival, for all eyes were steadfastly fixed on the large 
folding-doors by which Joseph Haydn was to enter the 
hall. 

He had been expected already for some time, and the au- 
dience began to whisper anxiously : “ Will he, perhaps, not 

come, after all ? Will his physician not permit him to go to 
the concert because the excitement might be injurious to 
him ? ” 

But all at once the silence was broken by a noise in the 
street, which sounded like the roar of the stormy ocean ; it 
rent the air, and caused the windows of the hall to rattle. 
And the audience was joyfully moved ; all faces became ra- 
diant, all turned their eyes toward the door. 

Now this door opened, and a beautiful though strange 
group appeared in it. In its midst, on the shoulders of eight 
strong young men, arose an easy chair, festooned with flowers, 
and in this chair sat the small, bent form of an old man. His 
face was pale and wan, and in his forehead the seventy-seven 
years of his life had drawn deep furrows ; but from his large 
blue eyes beamed the eternal fire of youth, and there was 
something childlike and touching in the smile of his mouth. 
On the right side of his easy-chair was seen the imposing form 
of a gentleman, plainly dressed, but with a head full of ma- 
jestic dignity, his face gloomy and wild, his high forehead, 
surrounded by dense dishevelled hair, his eyes now gleaming 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.’ 


55 


with sombre fires, now glancing mildly and amiably. It was 
Louis von Beethoven, whom Haydn liked to call his pupil, and 
whose fame had at that time already penetrated far beyond 
the frontiers of Austria. On the left side of the easy-chair 
was seen the fine, expressive face of Salieri, who liked to call 
himself Gluck’s pupil ; and side by side with these two walked 
Kreutzer and Clementi, and the other members of the com- 
mittee of arrangements. 

Thundering cheers greeted their appearance ; the whole 
audience rose ; even the Empress Ludovica started up from 
her gilded chair and bowed smilingly ; and the Archduke 
John advanced close to the railing of the box to greet again 
and again with pleasant nods of his head and waves of his 
hand Joseph Haydn, thus borne along above the heads of the 
audience. But the Emperor Francis, who was standing by 
the side of his consort, looked with a somewhat sneering ex- 
pression on the crowd below, and, turning to the empress, he 
said : “ Perhaps my dear Viennese may consider Haydn on 
his easy-chair yonder their emperor, and I myself may abdi- 
cate and go home. They did not even look at us to-night, and 
are raising such a fuss now as though God Almighty had en- 
tered the hall ! ” 

In effect, the exultation of the audience increased at every 
step which the procession advanced, and endless cheers accom- 
panied the composer to the seat which had been prepared for 
him on an estrade in front of the orchestra. 

Here two beautiful ladies of high rank came to meet him, 
and presented to him, on cushions of gold-embroidered velvet, 
poems written by Collin and Carpani, and printed on silken 
ribbons. At the same time many hundred copies of these 
poems flittered through the hall, and all shouted joyously, 
“ Long live Joseph Haydn, the German maestro ! ” And the 
orchestra played a ringing flourish, and the cheers of the au- 
dience rent the air again and again. 

Joseph Haydn, quite overcome, his eyes filled with tears, 
leaned his head against the back of his chair. A mortal pal- 
lor overspread his cheeks, and his hands trembled as though 
he had the fever. 

“ Maestro, dear, dear maestro ! ” said the Princess Esterhazy, 


56 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


bending over him tenderly, “ are you unwell ? You tremble, 
and are so pale ! Are you unwell ? ” 

“ Oh, no, no,” said Haydn, with a gentle smile, “ my soul is 
in ecstasies at this hour, which is a precious reward for a long 
life of arduous toils. My soul is in ecstasies, but it lives in 
such a weak and wretched shell ; and because the soul is all 
ablaze with the fires of rapturous delight, the whole warmth has 
entered it, and the poor mortal shell is cold and trembling.” 

The Princess Esterhazy took impetuously from her shoul- 
ders the costly Turkish shawl in which her form was en- 
veloped ; she spread it out before Haydn and wrapped it care- 
fully round his feet. Her example was followed immediately 
by the Princesses Lichtenstein and Kinsky, and the Count- 
esses Kaunitz and Spielmann. They doffed their beautiful er- 
mine furs and their Turkish and Persian shawls, and wrapped 
them around the old composer, and transformed them into 
cushions which they placed under his head and his arms, and 
blankets with which they covered him.* 

Haydn allowed them smilingly to do so, and thanked, with 
glances of joyful emotion, the beautiful ladies who manifested 
so much tender solicitude for him. 

“ Why can I not die now ? ” he said to himself in a low 
voice. “ Why does not Death kiss my lips at this glorious 
hour of my triumph ? Oh, come, Death ! waft me blissfully 
into the other world, for in this world I am useless hence- 
forth ; my strength is gone, and my head has no more ideas. 
I live only in and on the past ! ” 

“ And yet you live for all time to come,” said the Princess 
Esterhazy, enthusiastically, “and while German art and Ger- 
man music are loved and honored, Joseph Haydn will never 
die and never be forgotten.” 

Hushed now was every sound. Salieri had taken his seat 
as conductor of the concert, and signed now to the orchestra. 

The audience listened in breathless silence to the tumultu- 
ous notes depicting in so masterly a manner the struggle of 
light and darkness, the chaos of the elements. The struggle 
of the elements becomes more and more furious, and the 
music depicts it in sombre, violent notes, when suddenly the 
* See “ Zeitgenossen,” third series, vol. vi., p. 32. 


57 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.” 

horizon brightens, the clouds are rent, the dissonant sounds 
pass into a sublime harmony, and in glorious notes of the 
most blissful exultation resound through the struggling uni- 
verse the grand, redeeming words, “ Let there be light ! ” And 
all join in the rapturous chorus, and repeat in blissful concord, 
“ Let there be light ! ” 

The audience, carried away by the grandeur and irresistible 
power of these notes, burst into long-continued applause. 

Haydn took no notice of it; he heard only his music ; his soul 
was entirely absorbed in it, and lifting both his arms to heaven, 
he said devoutly and humbly, “ It comes from above ! ” * 

The audience had heard these loud and enthusiastic words ; 
it applauded no longer, but looked in reverent silence toward 
the aged composer, who, in the midst of his most glorious 
triumph, rendered honor to God alone, and bowed piously and 
modestly to the work of his own genius. 

The performance proceeded. But Joseph Haydn hardly 
heard much of the music. His head leaned against the back of 
the chair ; his face, lit up by a blissful smile, was deathly pale ; 
his eyes cast fervent glances of gratitude toward heaven, and 
seemed, in their ecstatic gaze, to see the w T hole heavens opened. 

“ Maestro,” said the Princess Esterhazy, when the first part 
of the performance was ended, “ you must no longer remain 
here, but return to your quiet home.” 

“ Yes, I shall return to the quiet home which awaits us all,” 
said Haydn, mildly, “and I feel sensibly that I shall remain 
no longer among men. A sweet dream seems to steal over 
me. Let the performers commence the second part, and my 
soul will be wafted to heaven on the wings of my music.” 

But the Princess Esterhazy beckoned to his friends. “ Take 
him away,” she said, “ the excitement will kill him, if he stays 
any longer. ” 

They approached his chair and begged permission to escort 
him home. Haydn nodded his assent silently and smilingly, 
and his eyes glanced dreamily round the hall. 

Suddenly he gave a start as if in great terror, and rose so 
impetuously that the furs and Turkish shawls, which had been 
wrapped round him, fell to the floor. His face crimsoned 

* “ Zeitgenossen,” ibid. 


58 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


as if in the light of the setting sun ; his eyes looked up with a 
radiant expression to the box yonder — to his emperor, whom 
he had loved so long and ardently, for whom he had wept in 
the days of adversity, for whom he had prayed and sung at all 
times. Now he saw him who, in his eyes, represented father- 
land, home, and human justice ; he felt that it was the last time 
his eyes would behold him, and he wished to bid farewell at 
this hour to the world, his fatherland, and his emperor. 

With a vigorous hand he pushed back the friends who 
would have held him and replaced him in his chair. Now he 
was no longer a weak and decrepit old man ; he felt strong 
and active, and he hastened forward with a rapid step through 
the orchestra toward the conductor’s seat and the piano in 
front of it. He laid his hands, which trembled no longer, on 
the keys, and struck a full concord. He turned his face to- 
ward the imperial box ; his eyes beamed with love and exulta- 
tion, and he began to play his favorite hymn with impressive 
enthusiasm — the hymn which he had composed ten years ago 
in the days of Austria’s adversity, and which he had sung 
every day since then, — the hymn, u Gott erhalte Franz den 
Kaiser , unsern guten Kaiser Franz ! ” And the audience 
rose and gazed with profound emotion upon Joseph Haydn’s 
gleaming face, and then up to the emperor, who was standing 
smilingly in his box, and the empress, from whose eyes two 
large tears rolled down her pale cheeks ; and with one accord 
the vast crowd commenced singing : 

“ Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, 

Unsern gnten Kaiser Franz ! 

Lange lebe Franz der Kaiser 
In des Gluckes hellem Kranz ! 

Ihm erbliihen Lorbeerreiser, 

Wo er geht, zuin Ehrenkranz. 

Gott erhalte — ” * 

* “ God preserve the emperor, 

Francis, our good emperor ! 

Long live Francis, brightest gem 
In fair Fortune’s diadem ! 

O’er him see the laurel wave, 

Honoring the true, the brave 1 
God preserve — ” 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.” 


59 


Haydn’s hands dropped exhausted from the keys ; his form 
rocked to and fro, and, half fainting, he sank back into the 
arms of Salieri and Kreutzer. 

The audience paused ; all forgot the imperial hymn, and 
looked only at the venerable old maestro, whom Salieri and 
Kreutzer lowered now softly into the easy-chair, which had 
been brought to them. 

“ Take me home, dear ones,” he said, faintly, “ sing on, my 
‘ Creation ’ ; my soul will remain with you, but my body can 
no longer stay. Old age has broken its strength. Farewell, 
farewell, all of you ! My soul will always be among you when 
you sing my music ; my body will go, but the soul will re- 
main. Farewell ! ” 

And the votaries of art who had conveyed him to the hall 
now placed the maestro’s chair again on their shoulders, and 
carried it slowly through the hall toward the entrance. 

The audience stood in silent reverence and looked up to 
Haydn’s passing form, and durst not break this profound still- 
ness by uttering a sound. They bade farewell to the univer- 
sally beloved and revered maestro only by bowing their heads 
to him and shedding tears of emotion — farewell for evermore ! 

The solemn procession had now arrived at the door. Jo- 
seph Haydn lifted his weary head once more ; his spirit 
gleamed once more in his eyes ; an expression of unutterable 
love beamed from his mild face ; he stretched out his arms 
toward the orchestra as if to bless it, and greeted it with his 
smile, with the nodding of his head, and the tears which filled 
his eyes.* 

A low rustling and sobbing passed through the hall ; no 
one was courageous enough to clap his hands ; all hearts were 
profoundly moved, all eyes filled with tears. 

But now he disappeared, and the door closed behind Joseph 
Haydn. The German maestro had to-day celebrated his apo- 
theosis amidst the enthusiastic people of Vienna. Life had 
dedicated to him the laurel- wreath which usually only death 
grants to poets and artists. 

The audience was still silent, when all at once a powerful 
voice exclaimed : “ Let us sing the second verse of Haydn’s 
* “ Zeitgenossen,” third series, vol. iv., p. 33. 


5 


60 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


favorite hymn — the second verse of ‘ Gott erhalte Franz den 
Kaiser ! ’ ” 

“ Yes, yes,” shouted all, enthusiastically, “ the second verse ! 
the second verse ! ” 

And hundreds of voices shouted to the orchestra beseech- 
ingly, imperiously, thunderingly, that it should play the ac- 
companiment ; and the musicians complied with this tumultu- 
ous request. 

The audience expressed their gratitude by an outburst of 
applause, and sang thereupon the second verse : 

“ Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen 
Strahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit ! 

Lass in seinem Rathe sitzen 
Weisheit, Klugheit, Redlichkeit, 

Und mit seiner Hoheit Blitzen 
Schalten nur Gereehtigkeit. 

Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, 

Unsern guten Kaiser Franz ! ” * 

The emperor bowed his thanks to the audience, the orches- 
tra commenced again playing the air, and the audience sang 
anew : 

“ Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen 
Strahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit ! ” 

And arms and hands were lifted here and there beseech- 
ingly toward the emperor ; in vain the orchestra tried to play 
on ; the audience, with rare unanimity, as if seized with one 
sentiment and one wish, sang again and again : 

“ Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen 
Strahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit ! ” 

And then all shouted loudly, beseechingly, and withal an- 

* “ Before his banner floating high 
Let victory shout and foemen fly ! 

In his counsels let preside 
Wisdom, prudence, noble pride ! 

And in loftiness enshrined 
Homely justice dwelling find ! 

God preserve the emperor, 

Francis, our good emperor 1 ” 


THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE CREATION.’ 


61 


grily and courageously, “ War ! war ! Lass von seiner Fahne 
Spitzen slrahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit ! ” 

The excitement of the audience grew constantly bolder and 
more impetuous. The men left their seats and crowded 
around the imperial box, repeating again and again the words : 

“ Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen 
Strahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit ! ” 

The emperor withdrew in confusion into the background 
of his box, and whispered quickly a few words to the Arch- 
duke John. The archduke advanced to the railing of the box, 
and commanded silence by waving his hand to the audience. 
The singers paused immediately, and amidst the breathless 
silence which ensued, the Archduke John shouted in a loud 
and powerful voice : “ The emperor announces to his dear 
Viennese that he is determined to submit no longer to the ar- 
rogance of France, and that war is irrevocably resolved 
on.” 

A cry of rapture burst from all lips ; all shouted exulting- 
ly, “ War ! war ! We shall at length bid defiance to the arro- 
gance of the French emperor ! We shall have war with 
France ; we shall avenge the wrongs which we have suffered 
so long, and set bounds to the encroachments of France ! ” 
And friends and acquaintances greeted each other with radi- 
ant eyes and glowing cheeks ; neighbors, entirely unknown to 
each other, shook hands and said, smilingly : “ Now at length 
we shall have war ! At length we shall remove from our 
German honor the stains with which France has sullied it. 
At length we shall have war, and God will grant us — ” 

The ringing notes of the orchestra interrupted the animated 
conversation of the excited audience. Salieri had taken his 
seat again, he raised his baton, and the second part of “ The 
Creation ” commenced. 


62 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER VI. 

ANDREAS HOFER. 

The streets of Vienna were silent and deserted ; all houses 
were dark ; everywhere the note of life had died away, and 
only here and there a hackney-coach was heard to drive slow- 
ly through the lonely streets, or a belated wanderer was seen 
to return home with a weary step. 

Vienna slept and dreamed of the welcome news which, de- 
spite the late hour, had spread like wild-fire from the concert- 
hall through the city — of the joyful intelligence that war 
against France was resolved on, and that the time was at 
length at hand when the wrongs perpetrated by Napoleon 
were to be avenged. 

Vienna slept and dreamed ; only in the wing of the im- 
perial palace where lay the rooms occupied by the Archduke 
John, the lights had not yet been extinguished, and at times 
dark figures were seen moving to and fro behind the windows. 

The Archduke John did not sleep yet, but he had already 
dismissed Conrad, his valet de chambre ; he had permitted the 
other footmen to retire from the anteroom to their bedcham- 
bers, and had then himself locked the door of the outer ante- 
room. 

“ I do not trust Conrad, my valet de chambre,” he said to 
Count Nugent, who was with him in his cabinet; “it is he, 
doubtless, who has been placed as a ‘ guardian angel ’ by my 
side, and is to report regularly all I am doing.” 

“ Your highness ought to discharge the fellow forthwith,” 
exclaimed Count Nugent, indignantly. 

“I shall take good care not to do so,” said John, smiling; 
“ on the contrary, I shall try to keep Conrad as long as pos- 
sible in my service, for I know him, and shall he able to mys- 
tify him. I shall always have to suffer a spy by my side, for 
the love and solicitude of my imperial brother will never 
leave me for a single moment without close surveillance; and 
Conrad is less distasteful to me than another spy probably 
would be. Still, I did not want him to report any thing about 


ANDREAS HOFER. 03 

the visitors -who will be here to-night, and therefore I dis- 
missed him for the night.” 

“But he will probably stand in the street to watch his 
master’s windows,” said Nugent, with a shrug; “and the 
shadows which he will see he may distort into all sorts of 
spectres which will be mentioned in the emperor’s police 
report to-morrow morning. ” 

“ Oh, I am not afraid of that at this hour,” exclaimed John. 
“ The emperor knows that I am to receive the delegates of the 
Tyrolese ; I myself told him so to-day, and he approves of it. 
But harm might befall my Tyrolese at their homes, if their 
plans were discovered previous to their deliverance from the 
Bavarian yoke. But hush, did you not hear a rustling sound 
in the corridor ? ” 

“Yes, I did; it is drawing near — it is at the door now, and 
— somebody raps already.” 

“ Our friends are there,” exclaimed John, hastening to the 
door, and drawing back the bolt. 

The archduke was not mistaken; his friends were there, 
and entered his cabinet now by the secret door. They were 
headed by Baron von Hormayr in his brilliant gold-embroid- 
ered uniform, which rendered doubly conspicuous the beauty 
of his slender yet firmly-knit form, and the noble expression 
of his prepossessing, youthful face. He was followed by three 
Tyrolese, clad in their national costume, and holding their 
rifles in their arms. 

The first of them was a man about forty years old. His 
frame was Herculean, his shoulders broad, his strength im- 
mense ; his head was covered with dense black hair, his 
bronzed face was radiant with kind-heartedness and good- 
humor. His dress was the common habit of the country, 
with some trifling variations : a large black hat, with a broad 
brim, black ribbons, and a dark curling feather ; a green 
jacket, red waistcoat, broad green braces crossed on the breast ; 
a black leathern girdle, adorned, according to the Tyrolese 
custom, with all sorts of ivory and other ornaments; black 
breeches, red stockings, and black shoes with buckles. About 
his neck was always to be seen a silver crucifix fastened to a 
heavy gold chain, and over it, down to the girdle, flowed his 


64 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


large black beard, which imparted a strange, fantastic air to 
his whole appearance. This man was Andreas Hofer, the 
innkeeper of Passeyr, to whom the Italian Tyrolese, on 
account of his long beard, had given the name of “Bar- 
bone.” 

The second of the Tyrolese who entered the archduke’s 
cabinet was a man of no less imposing appearance, dressed 
entirely like Andreas Hofer ; only the long beard was want- 
ing to him, and, instead of a black hat, he wore the pointed 
green Tyrolese hat, adorned with hunting ornaments. His 
face, less good-natured and serene than that of his friend, was 
expressive of energy and resolution; courage and shrewdness 
beamed from his black eyes, and a peculiar expression of de- 
fiance and scorn played around his full lips. This was Joseph 
Speckbacher, known by every inhabitant of the northern 
Tyrol as “the bold chamois-hunter.” 

He was followed by a third Tyrolese, as proud and strong, 
as robust and fine-looking, as his two companions. It was 
Anthony Wallner, the innkeeper of Windisch-Matrey, and, 
like Speckbacher, Hofer’s intimate friend. 

The archduke advanced to meet the Tyrolese, and shook 
hands with each of them. 

“Welcome, my Tyrolese, welcome !” he said, in a deeply- 
moved voice ; “ may God and the Holy Virgin grant that no 
harm result from your visit to me ! You know that I have 
never ceased to love you, and that when, in the year 1805, I 
had to bid farewell to Andreas Hofer and the dear Tyrol, my 
heart almost broke with grief and despair. ” 

“ Look, look ! ” exclaimed Andreas Hofer, turning with a 
radiant smile to his two friends; “he is indeed the same man 
who bade us farewell at that time in Brunecken, and was not 
ashamed of embracing Andreas Hofer and shedding tears on 
his shoulder for the poor sacrificed Tyrol.” 

“And who is glad to-day to be able to embrace Andreas 
Hofer again,” said the archduke, encircling the Herculean 
form of the Tyrolese innkeeper with his arms. “ But I will 
shed no tears to-day, Andreas, for I hope the time of tears is 
over, and you have come to tell me so, to bring me love-greet- 
ings from the Tyrolese, and the hope of better times. Say, 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


65 


you three brave men from the Tyrol, Andreas Hofer, Joseph 
Speckbacher, Anthony Wallner, is it not so? Have you not 
come to tell me that the Tyrol is longing for her emperor and 
desirous of getting rid of the Bavarians ? ” 

“Yes, we have come to say this to our dear John,” ex- 
claimed Andreas Hofer. 

“We have come to ask if Austria does not intend to call 
upon her Tyrol to rise and fight under her banners,” said 
Joseph Speckbacher. 

“We have come to ask our Archduke John if he will help 
us with his troops and cannon in case we Tyrolese should rise 
now to expel the Bavarians from the country,” said Anthony 
Wallner, with flashing eyes. 

“We have come to ask our John, Is it time ?” exclaimed 
Andreas Hofer. 

The archduke held out his hand to him with a firm and 
resolute glance. “Yes,” he said, “yes, Andreas Hofer, it is 
time ! Yes, Anthony Wallner, Austria will assist the Tyrolese 
with her troops and cannon in expelling the Bavarians and 
French from their country. Yes, Joseph Speckbacher, Austria 
intends to call upon her faithful Tyrol to rise and fight under 
her banners ; she will engage in a mortal contest for you and 
with you ! ” 

“God grant success to our united efforts !” said Andreas 
Hofer, folding his hands over the crucifix on his breast. 
“ During all these years I have prayed every day to the Holy 
Virgin to let me live and see the day when the Austrian eagle 
shall once more adorn our boundary-posts, and when we may 
again fondly and faithfully love our Emperor Francis as our 
legitimate sovereign. The good God in heaven, I hope, will 
forgive me for having been a very bad and obstinate subject 
of the King of Bavaria. I would never submit to the new 
laws, and could not discover in my old Austrian heart a bit of 
loyalty or love for the ruler who was forced upon us.” 

“ No, you were a stubborn disloyalist, Andy,” said Hor- 
mayr, “and, as spokesman of your whole district, you raised 
your voice against every new law which the Bavarian govern- 
ment promulgated in your country. But, it is true, the Tyro- 
lese love their Andy for this, and say that he is the most 


66 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


honest, faithful, and reliable man in the whole valley of the 
Adige.” 

“ To be courageous is not so difficult if the cause which you 
fight for is a good one,” said Andreas Hofer, calmly. “ God 
Himself engraved on my heart the commandment to be loyal 
to my emperor, my country, and its laws; and if you call me 
reliable, dear friend, you merely say that I do my duty as a 
Christian, for the Bible says, ‘Let your communication be 
Yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh 
of sin.’ Therefore, do not praise me for that which is only my 
duty, and which Speckbacher and Wallner, and all our dear 
friends in the valley of the Adige, do just as well as I. For 
the rest, I must tell you, gentlemen, it is not so strange that 
we should be attached to the emperor ; for the Bavarians are 
governing our country in such a manner as if they were intent 
only on making us love our emperor every day more and more, 
and long for him more intensely.” 

“It is true, Andy is right,” exclaimed Anthony Wallner ; 
“ the Bavarians oppress us fearfully, and we will not stand it 
any longer ; we will become Austrians again, as our fathers 
were, and will fight for our liberty and our old privileges 
which Bavaria solemnly guaranteed, and which her authori- 
ties basely intend to overthrow.” 

“Which they have already overthrown,” cried Joseph 
Speckbacher, his eyes flashing with anger. “The court of 
Munich seems intent only on making the utmost of their new 
acquisition. Our old constitution has been overthrown by a 
royal edict ; the representative estates have been suppressed, 
and the provincial funds seized. No less than eight new and 
oppressive taxes have been imposed and are being levied with 
the utmost rigor ; the very name of our country has been 
abolished ; the royal property has all been brought into the 
market ; new imports are daily exacted without any consulta- 
tion with the estates of the people ; specie has become scarce, 
from the quantity of it which is being drawn off to the Bava- 
rian treasury ; the Austrian notes have been reduced to half 
their value ; and, to crown all these wrongs, compulsory levies 
are held among our young men, who are to serve in the ranks 
of our oppressors ! No, we must break the yoke weighing us 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


67 


down — we will become freemen again — as freemen we will 
live and die — as freemen we will belong again to our beloved 
Emperor Francis, whose ancestors have ruled over us for so 
many centui’ies past.” 

“ If all the Tyrolese think and feel as you three do,” said 
the Archduke John, with sparkling eyes, “you will recover 
your liberty and your emperor, despite the Bavarians and 
French.” 

“ All feel and think as we do,” said Hofer, thoughtfully ; 
“ we have ail vowed to God and the Holy Virgin that we will 
deliver the Tyrol from the enemy ; and every man, every lad 
in our mountains and valleys, is ready to take up his rifle and 
fight for his dear Emperor Francis.” 

“We are here as delegates of the whole Tyrol,” said An- 
thony Wallner, “ to ascertain the wishes and intentions of the 
emperor and his government, prefer our bitter complaints, 
and declare the firm resolution of the Tyrolese to shrink from 
no sacrifice in order to be reunited with Austria and to recon- 
quer our ancient rights and liberties.” 

“But w’e need assistance for this purpose,” added Joseph 
Speckbacher, “ speedy and vigorous assistance ; above all, we 
need troops, money, ammunition, and supplies. Will Austria 
give them to us ? ” 

“ She will,” said the archduke. “ She will send you a corps 
d'anmee, money, ammunition, and supplies. Only you must 
be ready and prepared to rise as one man when we give you 
the signal of insurrection.” 

“We are ready!” exclaimed Andreas Hofer, nodding joy- 
ously. “ But you must not delay the signal very long, for 
delays are highly dangerous under the present circumstances. 
We and our friends have prepared the insurrection, and it is 
as if a large torrent of fire were flowing secretly under the 
surface of the Tyrol ; if some shrewd Bavarian should scratch 
away some of the earth, he would discover the fire, fetch 
water, and extinguish the flames, before the Austrians reach 
the country and prevent him from so doing. A secret known 
to a great many is seldom well kept ; it is, as it were, a ripe 
fruit which must fall from the tree, even though it should hit 
and crush the head of the owner of the tree.” 


68 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Yes, what is to be done must be done soon,” said Anthony 
Wallner. “The men of Passeyr, Meran, Mays, and Algund, 
are ready, and have entered into a secret league with the 
whole valley of the Inn. The district of the Adige, too, has 
joined us, and the German and Italian Tyrolese, who formerly 
never liked each other, have now agreed to stand shoulder to 
shoulder and rise on one day and as one man, in order to drive 
the Bavarians and French from their mountains.” 

“We are waiting only for Austria to give the signal ; pray 
do not keep us waiting too long, for we men of the Lower Inn- 
thal, too, are all ready and armed. An enormous worm of 
insurrection, as it were, is creeping through the Lower Inn 
valley, and the worm has four heads, which look toward all 
quarters of the world. One head is Rupert Wintersteller, of 
Kirchdorf ; the second is Jacob Sieberer, of Thiersen ; the third 
is Antony Aschbacher, of Achenthal ; and the fourth is I, 
Joseph Speckbacher, of Kufstein.” 

“ In the Puster valley, too, a storm is brewing, and all are 
ready and impatient to rise in insurrection,” said Hofer. 
“ Therefore, dear brother of our emperor, give us good news, 
that we may take it home to the men of the Tyrol, for their 
hearts are longing and crying for their sovereign the emperor.” 

“ And the emperor, on his part, is longing for his Tyro- 
lese,” said the archduke. “The time has come when that 
which belongs together is to be reunited. Let us consult 
and deliberate, then, my friends, what we should do in order 
to attain our great object, and reunite the Tyrolese with their 
emperor.” 

“ Yes, let us consult,” said Hofer, solemnly ; “ and let us 
pray God and the Holy Virgin to enlighten our minds.” 

He raised the crucifix from his breast to his face and bent 
over it, muttering a prayer. 

“ Now I am ready,” he said, slowly dropping the crucifix ; 
“ let us deliberate. But I tell you beforehand, I am no mili- 
tary hero, nor a wise man in council. I am resolved to do all 
that is necessary to deliver my dear Tyrol from the enemy, 
and to strike and fire at the Bavarians and French until they 
run away terror-stricken, and restore us to our dear Emperor 
Francis. But I am unversed in negotiations and devising 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


69 


shrewd tricks and stratagems. I am only a plain peasant, 
who has a great deal of love and fidelity in his heart, but only 
few thoughts in his head. Baron von Hormayr and the arch- 
duke may do the thinking for me. They shall be the head, 
and I the arm and heart. Speckbacher and Wallner yonder 
have good heads too, though I do not wish to say that their 
hearts are not also in the right place ; on the contrary, I know 
that they are. Let us consult, then, and bear in mind that 
God hears us, and that the Tyrolese are waiting for us.” 

“You are an excellent man, Andy,” exclaimed John, hold- 
ing out his hand to Hofer w T ith a tender glance — “a childlike 
soul, full of love, fidelity, and tenderness ; and, in gazing at 
you, it seems as if the whole dear Tyrol, with its mountains 
and valleys, its Alpine huts and chapels, its merry singers and 
pious prayers, were present before me. Come, then, Andy, 
and you other dear friends, come, let us be seated and hold a 
council of war.” 

They seated themselves around the table standing in the 
middle of the room. 

Day was already dawning, the candles had burned down 
very low, the streets began to become lively, and still the 
Tyrolese remained in the archduke’s cabinet, their faces glow- 
ing with defiance and resolution, and their eyes flashing with 
boldness and enthusiasm. For every thing was settled and 
decided now ; each of them had received his instructions and 
been informed of the part which he was to play in the strug- 
gle. War with the Bavarians and French, and liberty for the 
Tyrol, was the battle-cry and goal. 

“ The plan is settled, then,” said the Archduke John, nod- 
ding kindly to the Tyrolese. “ Eleven points, especially, have 
been agreed upon, after mature deliberation ; and it would be 
good for us to repeat them briefly.” 

“ Let us do so,” said Andreas Hofer. “ First, then : The 
Tyrolese will rise against the Bavarians, in order to be re- 
united with Austria. We shall enlist as many soldiers for 
the insurgent army as possible, and try to make all Tyrolese 
our fellow-conspirators. They will meet on Sundays at the 
taverns, and the innkeepers in the valleys and mountains are 
the leaders of the conspiracy ; they will call the meetings and 


70 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


facilitate the intercourse of the conspirators with each other. 
If it please God, the insurrection will break out on the 9th of 
April, when the Austrian troops will cross the frontier of the 
Tyrol and hasten to our assistance. This is the best point, 
and God grant that it may be well executed ! ” 

“The second point,” said Joseph Speckbacher, “is as fol- 
lows : No written communication whatever shall be per- 
mitted among the conspirators, and those who violate this 
order shall be severely punished. The secret messages will be 
carried by reliable and well-tried messengers from court-house 
to court-house and village to village. To this the third point 
adds the following : The oldest men in the villages will 
establish secret tribunals to try and punish those whom fear, 
self-interest, or bribes may induce to turn traitors. The fami- 
lies of suspicious persons, and those who betray our secrets 
from weakness or in a state of intoxication, must be closely 
watched, and they themselves will be sent to distant Alpine 
huts and into the mountain fastnesses, where they will be 
kept in close confinement.” 

“Fourth,” said Anthony Wallner : “Every innkeeper 
must strive to amass provisions, forage, wine, and ammuni- 
tion ; for the inns in the mountains are, as it were, small 
fortresses for the Tyrolese, and the enemy can reach them 
only slowly and after surmounting a great many difficulties. 
Besides, the innkeepers must arrange target-shootings every 
Sunday, that the men from the neighborhood may assemble 
at their houses and join the great league of the defenders of 
the country. The innkeepers at very important places will 
receive for these purposes bills of exchange on Salzburg, Kla- 
genfurth, and Trieste; and each of us three, Hofer, Speck- 
bacher, and I, will take home with us one hundred and twenty 
ducats to be distributed among the innkeepers. Fifth : The 
intercourse between the mountain districts, on one side, and 
the plains and towns, on the other, must henceforth become 
rarer and rarer till the hour of the outbreak. But the moun- 
taineers must send out, at intervals of four days, spies to ascer- 
tain the state of affairs in other parts of the country.” 

“ Sixth,” exclaimed the Archduke John, with beaming eyes : 
“On the day when the insurrection is to break out, Field- 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


71 


Marshal Jellachich will arrive in front of Innspruck, and the 
vanguard of Field-Marshal Chasteler will march through the 
Puster valley to the heights of Schwabs and Elbach toward 
Brixen, and advance the head of his column beyond the Bren- 
ner as far as Botzen. Seventh : All the forces of the enemy 
moving toward Germany must be chased between these two 
columns of the Austrians and pursued and tired at incessantly 
by the mountaineers ; they must be prevented night and day 
from obtaining rest and food ; the best marksmen must pick 
off their officers and blow up their ammunition-wagons. The 
Tyrolese should chase the Bavarians and the French in this 
manner from Botzen to Brixen, up the Brenner, and thence 
down to Trent. Now, friend Hormayr, repeat the remaining 
four points.” 

“ The eighth point is : The removal of the Bavarian treas- 
ure must be prevented by all means. Ninth : The Tyrolese 
living on the rivers must prevent the enemy by all means 
from destroying the bridges and roads, so that the Austrians 
may be able to succor them more rapidly ; but they must also 
hold men and tools in readiness, that, after the Austrians have 
arrived, they may destroy the bridges in the rear of the enemy, 
and render the roads impassable, by obstructing them with 
piles of wood and rocks. Tenth : The Tyrolese will try cau- 
tiously to bring about an understanding w T ith Switzerland, and 
establish connections with the Lower and Upper Engadine, 
Chur, Appenzell, and St. Gall ; for thence will come the Eng- 
lish agents who will convey arms and money to the Tyrolese. 
Eleventh — ” 

“Ah, let me state the eleventh point,” exclaimed Joseph 
Speckbacher, with flashing eyes. “I intend to take part in 
carrying out this point of the programme. It is, to take the 
fortress of Kufstein on the frontier by a nocturnal coup de 
main. Field-Marshal Jellachich will move several companies 
of riflemen as close up to the fortress as possible, and Jacob 
Sieberer and Joseph Speckbacher, who will beforehand enlist 
assistants in the town and spy out every thing, will join them. 
The capture of Eufstein is to commence the glorious struggle ; 
it is to be the first hymn of liberty which the Tyrolese will 
send up to heaven like a lark in spring, and by which they 


72 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


will bless and praise the good God. The eleventh and last 
point is Kufstein. God protect us in carrying out these eleven 
points ! ” * 

“ Amen ! V exclaimed Andreas Hofer, raising his crucifix 
and pressing it to his lips. “We have, then, resolved here in 
council with our Archduke John, and I hope also in council 
with the good God above, that the Tyrol is to be restored to 
its beloved imperial house. The work is to begin on the 9th 
of April, and we must be ready to rise on that day. On the 
9th of April the Austrians are to cross the frontier, and on the 
previous evening they will inform us by firing oft* three rock- 
ets that they are at hand. At the same time bale-fires will be 
lighted on a hundred hills, and on the following morning we 
shall throw large quantities of blood, flour, or charcoal, into 
our mountain-torrents, that their blood-red, flour-white, or 
coal-black waters, flowing into and out of the country, may 
proclaim to the people that the time has come when all must 
rise, rifle in hand, to conquer or die for the dear Tyrol and the 
good Emperor Francis.” 

“ And I, too, am ready to conquer or die for the Tyrol and 
the emperor, and so is the corps whose commander I am,” ex- 
claimed the archduke enthusiastically. “The emperor, my 
gracious master, intends to intrust me with the command of 
the army which is to fight with and for the Tyrol, which will 
check the advance of the enemy approaching the Tyrol from 
the Italian frontier, and will second and strengthen the insur- 
rection of the Tyrolese. Now, then, my friends and comrades 
let us prepare the great work bravely, prudently, and carefully. 
Collect your forces, as I shall collect mine ; make all your 
dispositions, and exhort all to behave as true sons of the Tyrol. 
Above all things, be cautious. Keep in check not only your 
tongues but your faces, especially here in Vienna. For if the 
Bavarian spies here ferret out that Andreas Hofer, Speck- 
bacher, and Wallner are in Vienna, and that I have had an 
interview with them, their keen noses will scent at once what 

* These eleven points were settled in this manner at Vienna by the dele- 
gates of the Tyrolese, the Archduke John, and Baron von Hormayr, and 
noted down by the latter. — See Hormayr, “ Geschichte Andreas Hofer’s,” vol. 
i., p. 193 et seq. 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


73 


is going on, and they will send, even before we reach the 
Tyrol, so many Bavarian and French soldiers into your coun- 
try, that you will be tied hand and foot, and cannot raise your 
arms on the 9th of April to seize .your rifles. Therefore, I 
repeat it, keep your faces in check, and do not allow your- 
selves to be seen in the streets of Vienna in the daytime. 
Your beard, Andy, especially is a treacherous thing, and it 
would really be best for the Barbone to shave off his long 
mourning-flag. ” 

Andreas Hofer seized his beard with both his hands, almost 
in terror, and drew it caressingly through his fingers. 

“ No,” he said, “ my friends and countrymen know me by 
my beard, and the Barbone is a welcome guest in the Italian 
Tyrol. They would not recognize me if I should appear 
among them with a smooth chin ; and they would doubt if it 
was Andreas Hofer who talked with them about the great 
conspiracy and insurrection in case they did not see his black 
beard.” 

“No, archduke,” said Speckbacher, smiling and winking, 
“ you must not object to our Andy’s beard, for it is the flag 
round which the Tyrolese will rally, and with which the Tyrol 
will adorn itself on the day of insurrection, as they put on 
their best clothes on the day of Assumption. Moreover, An- 
dreas Hofer must not be ungrateful ; and he would be un- 
grateful if he should cut off his beard and throw it away, for 
his beard gained him one day a couple of fat oxen.” 

“ Is that true, Andy ? ” asked John, laughing. 

“ It is,” said Andreas Hofer, gravely. “ My beard did gain 
me two oxen. It happened as follows, archduke : I was quite 
a young man yet, and had married my wife, Anna Gertrude 
Ladurner, only a year before. I was very fond of my little 
wife, and did not like to sit for hours in the tavern, as I had 
done heretofore. I stayed at home often enough instead of 
attending to my business, and going down to Italy or Germany 
to carry on my traffic in corn, wine, horses, and oxen, by which 
I had made a great deal of money. My friends sneered at my 
staying so much at home, and said : ‘ Andy Hofer, the Sand- 
wirth, is a henpecked husband, and his wife is master of the 
house.’ This was very disagreeable to me, for, although I love 




ANDREAS HOFER. 


my Anna Gertrude from the bottom of my heart, I have always 
been the master ; and she has been obedient to me, as the Bible 
says it should be between husband and wife. Well, one day I 
sat at home with a few friends ; we were drinking wine in the 
bar-room. Suddenly there entered the room an old beggar 
with a tremendous beard reaching down to his girdle. I 
laugh at the beard and rejoice over its enormous length. One 
of my friends, Anthony Waidlinger, the rich Amselwirth, asks 
me : ‘Well, Andy, would you like to wear as long a heard as 
that ? ’ ‘ Why not ? ’ I reply merrily. * Ah,’ exclaims An- 
thony, laughing, ‘you must not talk so saucily. You must not 
wear so long a beard. Your wife will not permit it, Andy ! ’ 
This makes me very angry ; I start up, and hardly know what 
I am doing. ‘What !’ I cry, ‘ my wife ? She must obey me 
whether she likes it or not. What will you bet I will not 
shave my beard for a whole year ? ’ ‘I will bet you two oxen,’ 
says Anthony ; ‘ but let me warn you, Andy, you will lose the 
oxen ; for I stick to it, your wife will never permit you to be- 
come the laughing-stock of the children by appearing in the 
streets with such a lion’s mane. Therefore consider the mat- 
ter well, Andy, for there is time yet. Admit that you will not 
win the bet, for two oxen are at stake ! ’ ‘I have already con- 
sidered everything,’ I say ; ‘ and as for the two oxen, they will 
be just what I want. A year hence you will bring them to 
me, Anthony Waidlinger.’ And this prediction was fulfilled. 
I did not shave my beard, and Anna Gertrude, my wife, re- 
joiced at her Andy’s beard instead of being angry at it, and 
thought it made her husband look a great deal better. When 
the year was up, Anthony Waidlinger drove his two oxen 
with a sullen air into my stable, and said : ‘ Now you may cut 
off your fur and have a pillow made from it for your wife.’ 
‘ I need not cut off my beard for that purpose,’ I replied ; 4 it 
may be my wife’s pillow even while it hangs down on my 
breast. For she is a good and dutiful wife, and I am fondly 
attached to her.’ That, archduke, is the story of my beard, 
which I have worn ever since, and which has often been a pil- 
low when my little boy and my three girls fell asleep on my 
lap, and under which they have often concealed their little 
heads when their mother was looking for them. You will 


ANDREAS HOFER. 75 

ask me no more to cut off my beard — the pillow and plaything 
of my children.” 

“No, Andreas,” said the archduke, kindly, “I will not. 
Wear your fine beard as you have done hitherto; may it be, 
notwithstanding its black color, the victorious flag round 
which the royal Tyrolese shall rally on rising for their lord 
and emperor ! And now, farewell, my friends ; it is dawning, 
and it is time for us to repose a little. Go home, therefore, 
and what remains to be settled you may talk over to-morrow 
with Baron von Hormayr, who will give you money for trav- 
elling expenses, and for distribution among the innkeepers. 
Day after to-morrow you will set out for home, and bring to 
all loyal Tyrolese the joyful news that war will break out.” 

“ Yes, yes, war will break out ! ” exclaimed the three Tyro- 
lese, exultingly. 

“ Hush, for God’s sake, hush ! ” said John, laughing. “ You 
must keep quiet, and, instead of doing so, you shout as jubi- 
lantly as though you were standing on a crest of the Brenner, 
and had just discovered the hiding-place of a chamois. Let 
me therefore tell you once more it is necessary that the people 
of Vienna should not find out that you are in the city. Pledge 
me your word, then, that you will not go into the street to- 
morrow in the daytime, nor allow any one to see you.” 

“We pledge you our word ! ” exclaimed the Tyrolese, with 
one accord; “ we will not appear in the street to-morrow in 
the daytime, and day after to-morrow we shall set out.” 

“ Yes, we shall set out then,” repeated Andreas Hofer, “and 
return to our mountains and friends, and wait patiently and 
faithfully until the day when we shall see rising to the sky 
the signal which is to tell us that our dear Archduke J ohn sends 
us his soldiers to assist us in delivering our country from the 
enemy, and restoring it, with our mountains, our love, and 
our loyalty, to our dear Emperor Francis. God grant that we 
may succeed in so doing, and may the Holy Virgin pray for us 
all, and restore the Tyrol to the emperor ! ” 


6 


76 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER VII. 

ANDREAS HOFER AT THE THEATRE. 

Cctjnt Stadion, the minister of foreign affairs, was pacing 
his cabinet with a quick step and an anxious expression of 
countenance. At times he stood still, and, bending his head 
toward the door, seemed to listen intently for some sound ; all 
remaining silent outside, he commenced again striding up and 
down, and whenever he approached the clock on the mantel- 
piece he cast an anxious glance on it. 

“ I am afraid Hormayr was not at home,” he murmured 
moodily to himself ; “ his servants did not know where he 
was, and therefore the mischief cannot he stopped.” 

He drew a golden snuff-box from his pocket and took a 
large pinch from it. “I said at the very outset,” he mur- 
mured, “ that we ought to keep aloof from these stupid peas- 
ants, who will only involve us in trouble and mischief. But 
those gentlemen would not listen to me, and — Really, I be- 
lieve I hear footsteps in the anteroom. Yes, yes, somebody 
is coming!” 

Count Stadion was not mistaken. The door opened, and a 
footman announced, in a loud voice, “ Baron von Hormayr ! ” 

“ Let him come in, let him come in, quick ! ” said Count 
Stadion, waving his hand impatiently ; and when Hormayr 
appeared on the threshold of the door, he hastily went to meet 
him. 

“ In truth, it took my servants a good while to find you ! ” 
exclaimed the minister, angrily. “ I have been waiting for 
you half an hour.” 

“I was at the Archduke John’s rooms, with whom I had 
business of importance, your excellency,” said Hormayr, 
emphasizing his last words. “Moreover, I could not guess 
that your excellency would wish to grant me an audience at 
so unusual an hour, and without my asking for it. ” 

“At so unusual an hour!” cried Count Stadion, putting 
one pinch of snuff after another into his nose. “ Yes, yes, at 
so unusual an hour ! It would have been more agreeable to 


ANDREAS HOFER AT THE THEATRE. 


77 


me, too, if it had been unnecessary for me to trouble you and 
myself. But it is your own fault. You do not keep your 
word.” 

“Your excellency !” cried Hormayr, indignantly. 

“Bah! it is true. You do not keep your word. You 
promised me that your Tyrolese should not show themselves, 
lest we might be charged with fomenting an insurrection; 
and it was necessary, also, to prevent the Bavarians from 
learning prematurely our plans. Can you deny that you 
promised this to me ? ” 

“ No, your excellency, I do not deny it at all.” 

“Well, your Tyrolese are running around everywhere.” 

“ Pardon me, your excellency, that cannot be true. You 
must have been misinformed.” 

“ What ! misinformed ? How dare you say so to my face, 
sir ? Your beardman, or bushman, or Sandwirth Hofer is at 
the Karnthnerthor Theatre, and is the observed of all ob- 
servers. I saw him with my own eyes; and that was the 
reason why I left the theatre and sent for you.” * 

“ Your excellency saw him with your own eyes ! Then, of 
course, it must be true, and I would beg leave of your excel- 
lency to go immediately to the theatre and take him to his 
hotel.” 

“ That was just what I wished to ask you to do, Baron von 
Hormayr. Make haste and induce this bushman to leave 
Vienna immediately.” 

“He will leave the capital early in the morning. Your 
excellency will permit me now to withdraw.” 

Baron von Hormayr hastened down stairs, left the 
chancery of state, and crossed the Joseph’s Place. On reach- 
ing the Karnthnerthor Theatre, he bought a ticket at the office 
and entered the pit. 

“ The Marriage of Figaro,” by Mozart, was performed at the 
Karnthnerthor Theatre to-night, and this favorite opera of the 
Viennese had attracted so large an audience that not a seat 
was vacant, and the baron had to elbow his way with no little 
difficulty through the crowd filling the pit, in order to reach a 

* Count Stadion’s own words. — See Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” v ol i., 
p. 209. 


/ 


78 ANDREAS HOFER. 

point where he might be able to see every part of the house, 
and discover him for whose sake he had come. 

At length he had succeeded in advancing so far that, lean- 
ing against one of the pillars supporting the upper tiers of 
boxes, he was able to survey the lower part of the house. But 
all faces were averted from it, all eyes were fixed on the stage. 
The opera had just reached the scene where Count Almaviva 
lifts the carpet from the chair and finds Cherubino under it. 
A loud outburst of laughter resounded from the pit to the upper 
gallery. But in the midst of the din, a loud and angry voice 
exclaimed : “ Ah, you young good-for-nothing, if I had you 
here I would show you how to behave ! ” And a threatening 
fist and vigorous arm was raised in the midst of the orchestra- 
stalls. 

“ Good heavens ! that is really Andreas Hofer,” murmured 
Baron von Hormayr, concealing himself anxiously behind 
the pillar. A renewed shout of laughter greeted Hofer's 
words, and all eyes turned toward the side where they had 
been uttered. And there sat the good Andreas Hofer, in his 
handsome national costume, with his long black beard, and his 
florid, kind-hearted face. There he sat, quite regardless of the 
gaze which the audience fixed upon him, utterly unaware of 
the fact that he was the observed of all observers, and quite 
engrossed in looking at the stage, where proceeded the well- 
known scene between Cherubino, the count, and Figaro. He 
followed the progress of the action with rapt attention, and 
when Cherubino tried to prove his innocence by all sorts of 
plausible and improbable falsehoods, Hofer’s brow became 
clouded. He averted his eyes from the stage, and turned to 
his neighbor. “ Why,” he said, loudly and indignantly, 
“that boy is as great a liar as though he were Bonaparte 
himself ! ” 

Now the merriment of the audience knew no longer any 
bounds. They applauded, they shouted, “ Bravo ! bravo ! ” 
They forgot the scene on the stage entirely, and devoted their 
exclusive attention to the queer, bearded stranger in the or- 
chestra-stall, on whom all eyes and opera-glasses were fixed. 

Baron von Hormayr behind his pillar wiped the perspira- 
tion from his forehead, and cast furious glances on Andreas 


ANDREAS HOFER AT THE THEATRE. 


79 


Hofer, who, however, was utterly unaware of his presence, 
and from whose breast, protected as it was by his beard 
and crucifix, rebounded all such glances like blunted ar- 
rows. 

The actors, who, interrupted by the unexpected cheers and 
the incident in the audience, had paused a few minutes, and 
had themselves hardly been able to refrain from bursting 
into laughter, now continued their scene, and the charms of 
the music and the interesting character of the action soon 
succeeded again in riveting the attention of the audience. 

Andreas Hofer, who had in the mean time relapsed into 
his silent astonishment, gazed fixedly upon the stage. Baron 
von Hormayr left his place quietly and walked to the en- 
trance. He slipped a florin into the hand of the doorkeeper, 
who was leaning against the wall. “ Say,” he whispered to 
him hastily, “as soon as the curtain drops, go to the giant 
with the long beard, who sits in the orchestra-stall yonder, 
and whose words amused the audience just now. He is a 
cattle-dealer from Hungary, and I must see him at once. 
Just whisper in his ear that his countryman with the wine 
and horses has arrived, and it is necessary he should come 
and see him right away. — Thank God, the curtain falls ! 
Now make haste. If you bring the cattle-dealer with you 
into the corridor, I will give you another florin.” 

The doorkeeper’s face beamed with satisfaction ; he el- 
bowed himself courageously through the crowd, and succeeded 
in reaching the “cattle-dealer from Hungary,” who sat ab- 
sorbed in his reflections, with his head bent on his breast. He 
touched his shoulder softly and whispered his message into 
his ear. 

Andreas Hofer gave a start and stared at the doorkeeper. 
“ What countrymen ? ” he asked ; “ and how can he bring to 
me wine and horses here as — ” 

“ I do not know anything about it,” whispered the door- 
keeper ; “ I know only that your countryman with the wine 
and the horses is waiting for you, and that he says he must 
see you right away.” 

“Well, then, come, conduct me to him,” said Andreas, ris- 
ing from his chair, and drawing up his colossal form to its 


80 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


full height. “ I should like to know who this countryman 
is. Lead the way, sir ; I will follow you.” 

The doorkeeper retraced his steps through the crowd ; 
Andreas Hofer followed him, greeting kindly and pleasantly 
in all directions, and pushing aside the men like flies when- 
ever they stood in his way. 

At length they reached the door, and stepped into the cor- 
ridor. Baron von Hormayr, like a tiger pouncing upon his 
prey, rushed upon Andreas Hofer, seized his arm, and drew 
him down the corridor into the outer hall, which was so de- 
serted and silent that there was no danger of their conver- 
sation being overheard by an eavesdropper. 

Here at length Hormayr stood still and dropped the arm 
of Andreas Hofer, who had followed him, dumfounded with 
astonishment, and glancing around as if looking for somebody 
else. 

u Andy,” exclaimed Hormayr, vehemently, “ what am I to 
think of you ? The Tyrolese always keep their promises, and 
to think that our honest Sandwirth alone should not do so ! 
You pledged me your word that you would conceal your 
presence here in Vienna as much as possible, and now you 
are running about the city in your national costume and with 
your bearded face to hear the opera-trills and see how the 
ballet-dancers stretch their legs ! ” * 

“ Andreas Hofer never breaks his word,” said Hofer, 
gravely. “ I promised not to appear in the streets in the day- 
time, and I have faithfully kept my word. I stayed at home 
all day, and it was only after nightfall that we three went to- 
gether into the street. Speckbacher and Wallner went to the 
Archduke John’s gunsmith, Anthony Steger, to take leave of 
him, and I intended to go to St. Stephen’s Cathedral to attend 
vespers. But I am a stranger in the city, and happened to 
lose my way. All at once I got into a dense crowd, and 
thought I had arrived at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and that the 
crowd consisted of pious Christians going to vespers ; hence, 
I allowed myself to be drawn along into the door, because I 
thought it was the church.” 

* Hormayr’s own words— See Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 


209 . 


ANDREAS HOFER AT THE THEATRE. gl 

“ And on buying a ticket, Andy, you supposed you pur- 
chased indulgence, did you not ? ” 

“ No, I did not,” said Andreas in a tone of embarrassment. 
“ But, on seeing all those persons step to the office and get 
tickets, I thought there were Christian passion-plays per- 
formed there, as at Innspruck in Lent ; and on hearing the 
man standing before me shouting, 4 Ticket for an orchestra- 
stall,’ I shouted, also, ‘ Ticket for an orchestra-stall,’ and threw 
a florin on the table. Thereupon they handed me a ticket, 
and I followed the others into the hall. The performance 
commenced almost at the same moment, the curtain rose, and 
the actors began to sing. It is true, it is not a passion-play, 
and there is nothing from the Bible in it ; but then it is a nice 
play. I believe the curtain will rise again immediately, and 
it is time for me to return to my seat. But I should like to 
know where my countryman with the horses and wine is. He 
insisted on seeing me, sent for me, and does not come now.” 

“But, Andy, do you not yet know that it was I who sent 
for you ? ” asked Hormayr. “ Why, it was only a stratagem of 
mine to get the Barbone out of the theatre and take him away 
from here.” 

“ But why do you want to take me away from here ? I 
tell you I like the play very well, and have never seen any 
thing like it. It is true, Cherubino, the boy, is an arrant liar, 
but he is a jolly fellow, and I do not want him to come to 
grief. And Figaro is a sly fox, and withal a brave man. I 
should like to make his acquaintance and ask him if he really 
promised old Marielle to marry her ; for it would be wrong if 
he did not keep his word now, and refused to make her his 
wife because he likes the young woman better than her. If I 
knew where he lives, I would go to him this very night and 
tell him what he ought to do.” 

“Oh, you foolish old child of Nature ! what you saw on 
the stage was nothing but a play. Figaro never existed ; and 
even though he did, you would not go to him, but accompany 
me and take supper with me.” 

“ I am sorry,” said Andreas, gravely, “ I cannot do so ; for, 
in the first place, I must stay here and wait for the country- 
man who has arrived here with the horses and wine.” 


82 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Jesus Maria ! what do you say ? The countryman ? Did 
I not tell you that it is I, Andy ? ” 

“ Oh, yes, I had already forgotten it. But, second, I can- 
not go because I must see the remainder of the play. Let 
me, therefore, return to my seat, for I paid for the whole per- 
formance ; I believe 1 have already missed a great deal ; but 
they will assuredly not return to me at the office a penny for 
what I did not hear.” * 

“ They will not, and shall not either,” cried Hormayr, an- 
grily. “You will not return to your seat, Andy, but go and 
take supper with me. For you know, my dear fellow, that 
you have come to Vienna, not to go to the theatre, but to ask 
the dear Archduke John’s assistance and succor for the beloved 
Tyrol, and inquire of the emperor if he will not aid his loyal 
Tyrolese in their attempt to become his subjects once more. 
And the emperor and the archduke will help you ; they prom- 
ise to send soldiers and guns in time to the Tyrol. But, in 
return, you must do what the archduke asked you to do ; you 
must carefully conceal yourself, Andy, in order to prevent 
the Bavarians from learning of your trip to Vienna ; other- 
wise they would arrest you and your friends after your return 
to the Tyrol. Hence you must not return to your seat, where 
so many persons would see you, and unfortunately have seen 
you already.” 

“Well, if it must be so, let us go, sir,” sighed Andreas. 

“ But just listen how they are singing, shouting, and cheering 
inside ! Jesus Maria ! Figaro, I believe, will have to marry 
old Marielle after all, and give up pretty little Susanne. Ah, 
my God ! she will die heart-broken, for she loves him so 
dearly. Pray, sir, let me go in once more, that I may see 
whether or not he must marry old Marielle.” 

“No, Andy,” said Hormayr, smiling, “you need not be un- 
easy ; Figaro will not marry old Marielle, for she is his own 
mother.” 

“ What !” cried Andreas, in dismay ; “ she his mother, and 
he has promised to marry her ? That is most sinful and in- 
famous ! No good Christian should listen to such things. 
Come along, sir. I do not want to hear another word of it. 

* Hofer’s own words. — See Hormayr, “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 310 . 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 83 


Good heavens ! what will Anna Gertrude say when I tell her 
what I have seen here, and that there are here in Vienna men 
infamous enough to promise to marry their mothers ? ” 

“ But they never do so in reality, Andy, but only on the 
stage. Otherwise the police would be after them at once. 
For the emperor is a very pious and virtuous gentleman, and 
he does not permit any infractions of the sacred laws of God 
and the Church in his dominions.” 

u Yes, the emperor is a very pious and virtuous gentleman,” 
exclaimed Andreas Hofer, enthusiastically, “ and that is the 
reason why the Tyrolese love him and wish to be again his 
subjects and children. Come, I will go home with you. I do 
not want to hear any more of the theatrical nonsense. Let 
us speak of our emperor and our dear Archduke John. God 
grant that we may soon be able to say he is our emperor 
again, and the archduke is our John, and his Tyrolese are 
again his subjects, because they fought well for their liberty, 
and because God blessed their efforts and crowned them with 
victory. Come, we will go home, and to-morrow I shall re- 
turn to the Tyrol, to my wife and children, and mountain and 
valley shall know that the time has come, and that we shall 
become Austrians again. May the Holy Virgin protect us 
and grant us a safe return ; may she prevent the Bavarians 
from waylaying us and frustrating our great and noble pur- 
pose ! ” * 


CHAPTER VIII. 

CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 

The die was cast, then. The war with France was to break 
out again. There was to be no more procrastination and hesi- 
tation. The time for action was at hand. 

* The delegates of the Tyrolese left Vienna on the following morning ; 
their presence there, however, had been reported to the Bavarian officers, who, 
during their homeward journey, almost succeeded in arresting them. John 
von Gratf, a banker of Botzen, was apprised of their arrival in Vienna by his 
correspondent in that city and informed the commissary-general at Brixen 


84 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


Already the French ambassador, Andreossi, had left Vien- 
na, and all the members of the legation had, followed him. 
Already Clement Count Metternich had arrived at Vienna ; 
but he had not left Paris as Count Andreossi had left Vienna, 
quietly and unmolested, but Napoleon had caused him to he 
escorted to the French frontier by a detachment of gens 
d'armes. 

And to-day, on the 9th of March, Austria was to proclaim 
to all Germany, by means of a public festival, that she was re- 
solved to renew the struggle with France and risk once more 
the blood of her people and the existence of her imperial dy- 
nasty in order to deliver Germany from the usurper who was 
intent on crushing in his iron hands the liberty and independ- 
ence of the German nation. 

A solemn ceremony was to take place to-day on the Glacis 
of Vienna. The flags of the militia were to be consecrated by 
the Archbishop of Vienna, and the whole imperial family was 
to be present at the solemnity. Hence, all Vienna presented 
a festive appearance ; all stores were closed, and no one was 
seen following his every-day avocations. The Viennese had 
made a holiday ; no one would toil for his daily bread ; all 
wished to refresh themselves only with mental food, and greet 
with their glances and acclamations the noble men who were 
to take the field for the salvation of the fatherland. 

The people were surging in dense masses toward the glacis, 
rushing with irresistible impetuosity into the empty ditches, 
and climbing the trees on their edges, or gaining some other 
standpoint whence they could survey the solemnity which 
was to take place on the broad promenade of the glacis. On 
the large rondel of the glacis had been erected a tribune whose 
golden-broidered velvet canopy was surmounted by a very 
large imperial crown ; four golden double- headed eagles 
adorned the four corners of 'the canopy, and held in their 
beaks the colors of Austria and Hungary. Under the canopy 
stood gilt arm-chairs, with cushions of purple velvet. This 
was the tribune destined for the emperor and his family ; 

of what he had learned. A warrant for the arrest of the three delegates 
w'as issued, but they escaped in time into the mountains. — Hormayr, vol. i., 
p. 191. 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 85 


all eyes were riveted upon it, and all hearts longed to greet 
the sovereign, and thank him for the proud happiness of this 
hour. 

Further on rose other and no less splendidly decorated 
tribunes, the seats of which had been sold at enormous rates 
to the aristocracy and wealthy citizens of Vienna for the bene- 
fit of the militia ; and thousands had found seats on the trees 
surrounding the broad promenade and the rondel, and paid 
for their airy perches only with some pains and bruises. 

Since early dawn this pilgrimage to the glacis had been 
going on ; by ten o’clock all seats, roads, tribunes, trees, 
ditches, and bridges, were occupied by a dense crowd ; and, in 
order to prevent accidents, the authorities had already ordered 
all approaches to the glacis to be closed. 

On the broad promenade, too, matters assumed a very 
lively aspect. The militia marched up with banners unfurled 
and drums beating. They drew up in line on both sides of 
the road, and their officers and standard-bearers repaired to 
the large rondel where another had been constructed in face 
of the imperial tribune. They ranged themselves around the 
altar, on w T hose steps priests in full vestments were kneel - 
ing, and which was surmounted by a gigantic crucifix, visible 
to all spectators far and near, and waving to all its blessings 
and love-greetings. 

And now all the church-steeples commenced ringing their 
peals ; the iron tongues of their bells proclaimed to the in- 
habitants of Vienna, and to the many thousands of strangers 
who had come to witness the solemnity, that the emperor with 
his consort and his children had left the Hofburg, and was 
approaching the glacis, followed by his suite. The militia as- 
sumed a stiff military attitude, the drums rolled, the cannon 
boomed, the bugles sounded merry notes, and the emperor, 
leading his consort by the hand, entered the tribune. He 
looked pale ; his form was bent, and trembling as if shaken by 
an inward fever ; and even more singular appeared his down- 
hanging under-lip and the gloomy, morose expression of his 
lustreless blue eyes. But the people did not see this ; they saw 
only that their emperor had arrived — their emperor, who had 
resolved to deliver Austria from the ignominious foreign yoke ; 


86 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


who would die with his subjects rather than longer bear the 
arrogance of France ; and who boldly and courageously 
staked all in order to win all, to restore at length a lasting 
peace to Austria and Germany, and vindicate their honor and 
independence. For this reason all hearts greeted the Emperor 
Francis with love and exultation, and he was received with 
deafening and constantly-renewed cheers. 

The emperor received with a forced smile the flattering 
homage which was rendered to him, but more radiant was the 
smile of his consort ; in her dark and glowing eyes glistened 
tears of joyful emotion, when she glanced at this jubilant 
mass of spectators and the enthusiastic regiments of the militia. 
She was also full of exultation ; she did not, however, give 
vent to her feelings, but pent them up in her heart, owing to 
the moroseness of her imperial husband. 

In the midst of a fresh outburst of popular enthusiasm, 
Francis bent over the empress. “ I suppose you are well sat- 
isfied now, empress ? ” he asked. “ You have attained your 
object ; all of you have fanned the flame until war is ready to 
break out, and every thing will go again topsy-turvy. But I 
tell you, empress, we shall fail again ; I do not believe that 
we shall conquer.” 

“Well, your majesty, then we shall succumb and die, but 
it will be an honorable defeat. It is better to perish in a just 
and honorable struggle than submit patiently to foreign usur- 
pation.” 

“ A very nice phrase, but the practical execution of such 
ideas is sometimes by far more unpleasant than the theory 
which they express. I am afraid you w T ill have good reason 
to regret this day, and— but what fearful noise is this again ? 
The people are cheering as though they were welcoming 
God Almighty Himself. What is it ? ” 

“ Your majesty,” said Ludovica, gazing timidly into her 
husband’s face, “ I believe the people are cheering the Arch- 
dukes Charles and John, for they are just walking along the 
ranks of the militia.” 

“ Ah, my brothers ! ” murmured the emperor, with an 
angry expression, which, however, disappeared again imme- 
diately ; “the people are cheering my brothers as though they 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 87 


were two divinities from whom alone they expect salvation 
and prosperity.” 

“Your majesty, the people cheer the archdukes because 
they are the brothers of the emperor, and because the confi- 
dence of your majesty has placed them at the head of the Aus- 
trian armies to lead them to battle, and, if it please God, to 
victory. It is your majesty alone that appointed the Arch- 
duke Charles generalissimo of all your forces, and the Arch- 
duke John commander of the army of Lower Austria.” 

“ Yes, I did so, for, blessed as I am with brothers so heroic 
and spirited, I must of course distinguish and employ them in 
accordance w T ith their merits ; otherwise they might believe I 
was jealous of their glory and splendor. This would be entirely 
false, for, so far from being jealous of them, I love them dearly, 
and give them now again another opportunity to gain laurels, 
as they did in 1805. It is true, my brother the generalissimo, 
was not victorious at Austerlitz, and my brother John has 
likewise sustained many a defeat ; but that does not prevent 
them from being heroes and great men. Just listen to the 
roars with which the people greet them ! Jesus Maria ! I 
hope the generalissimo will not have his fits from excessive 

joy-” 

Ludovica cast a quick, mournful glance on the maliciously 
smiling face of her husband. “ Your majesty need not be 
alarmed,” she said ; “your tender apprehensions will fortu- 
nately not be fulfilled. You see that the archduke is quite 
well ; he is just addressing his troops.” 

“ Yes, yes, I know his speech. M. von Gentz wrote it for 
him, and I permitted him to deliver it. Ah, it abounds with 
fine phrases, and my dear Austrians will be astonished on 
hearing what liberal men we have become all of a sudden, and 
what grand ideas of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty 
we have adopted. Just listen to him ! the conclusion is very 
fine, and sounds just as though the Marseillaise had been 
translated into the language of the Austrians.” 

“ Soldiers,” shouted the archduke, at this moment, in a loud, 
ringing voice, “ the liberty of Europe has taken refuge under 
the flag of Austria ; the rights, freedom, and honor of all Ger- 
many expect their salvation only of our armies. Never shall 


88 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


they, instruments of oppression, carry on in foreign countries 
the endless wars of a destructive ambition, annihilate innocent 
nations, and with their own corpses pave for foreign conquer- 
ors the road leading to usurped thrones. Soldiers, we take up 
arms only for the liberty, honor, and rights of all Germany ; 
it is these sacred boons that we have to defend ! ” * 

A long-continued, deafening outburst of applause both of 
the soldiers and the people was the reply to the stirring ad- 
dress of the generalissimo ; hut suddenly every sound was 
hushed, for at the altar, yonder by the side of the tall crucifix, 
appeared now the archbishop, accompanied by the whole body 
of the high clergy. 

The emperor rose from his seat and bowed humbly and de- 
voutly to the prelate who had been the teacher of his youth, 
and had afterward married him three times, the last time only 
a few months ago. 

And now the archdukes marched the troops into the mid- 
dle of the place, and the consecration of the flags commenced 
amid the peals of all the church-bells and the booming of ar- 
tillery. 

The emperor looked on, standing, bareheaded, and with 
hands clasped in prayer. Ludovica turned her eyes heaven- 
ward, and her lips moved in a low, fervent prayer. Behind 
them stood the young archdukes and archduchesses, muttering 
prayers, and yet glancing around curiously ; and the cavaliers 
of the imperial couple, looking gloomy, and plainly showing 
in their sombre faces the rage that filled their hearts. 

The ceremony being finished, the archbishop lifted up his 
hands and stretched them out toward the soldiers. “ Adieu, 
until we meet again,” he exclaimed with a radiant air, and in 
a voice of joyful enthusiasm ; “ adieu, until we meet again at 
the hour of danger ! ” 

“ Adieu, until we meet again at the hour of danger ! ” 
echoed the soldiers with enthusiasm. Seeing then that the 
archbishop bent his knees, they knelt likewise and bowed their 
heads in prayer. Hushed was every sound on the vast place. 
Only the church-bells were pealing and the artillery was boom- 
ing in the distance, and the murmur of the devout prayers 

* Hormayr, u Allgemeine Geschichte,” vol. iii., p. 219. 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 89 


which rose to God from so many pious hearts broke the 
silence. 

In the fervent enthusiasm of this hour no one felt the least 
timidity, no one looked anxiously into the future. Even the 
mothers did not shed tears for their sons who were about to 
take the field ; the affianced brides allowed their lovers to de- 
part without uttering complaints or weeping at the thought of 
their impending departure ; wives took leave of their husbands 
with joyous courage, pressing their infants to their breasts and 
commending them trustingly to God’s protection. The pa- 
triotic enthusiasm had seized all, and carried away even the 
coldest and most selfish hearts. The rich contributed their 
money with unwonted liberality ; those who were in less fa- 
vorable circumstances laid down their plate and valuables on 
the altar of the country ; the mechanics offered to work gra- 
tuitously for the army ; the women scraped lint and organized 
associations for the relief of the wounded ; the young men 
offered their life-blood to the fatherland, and considered it as 
a favor that their services were not rejected. 

The long-concealed hatred against France burst forth in 
bright flames throughout Austria and Germany ; the war was 
hailed with rapturous enthusiasm, and every heart longed to 
take part in this struggle, which seemed to all a war of holy 
vengeance and retribution. For the first time in long years 
Austria felt again thoroughly identified with Germany, 
while the other Germans were looking upon Austria as a Ger- 
man state and holding out their hands to their Austrian 
brethren, telling them that they sympathized most vividly 
with the ends which they were trying to attain. 

But while the utmost exultation was reigning among the 
people and the soldiers on this joyful day, a gloomy silence 
prevailed in the imperial palace. The joyous mask with which 
the generalissimo, the Archduke Charles, had covered his face 
while on the glacis, had disappeared from it so soon as he had 
returned to his rooms. Pale and faint, he rested in an easy- 
chair, and, fixing his sombre eyes on his quartermaster-gener- 
al, Count Griinne, he said : “ My friend, listen to that which I 
am going to say to you now, and which you will remember 
one day. I have objected three times in the most emphatic 


90 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


manner to this declaration of war, for I know that our prep- 
arations are not sufficiently matured, and I know also that I 
have here in Austria powerful enemies who are intent on im- 
peding all my efforts, and who will shrink from nothing in 
order to ruin me, and with me you too, my poor friend. The 
whole aristocracy is hostile to me, and will never allow the 
emperor’s brothers to set bounds to its oligarchy by their mer- 
its and influence ; it will always oppose us, even though it 
should endanger thereby the power and honor of the father- 
land. I know all the perils and intrigues surrounding me, 
and because I know them I tried to avoid them, opposed the 
war, and strove to get rid at least of the command-in-chief. 
But the emperor would not allow me to do so ; he ordered me 
to accept the arduous position of generalissimo of his forces, 
and, as his subject, I had to obey him. But I repeat it, this 
will be a disastrous war for Austria, and I look with gloomy 
forebodings into the future.” 

And as gloomy as the generalissimo’s face was that of his 
brother, the Emperor Francis. He had retired into his cabi- 
net, and strode growlingly up and down, holding the fly-flap 
in his hand, and striking savagely at the flies which his search- 
ing eyes discovered here and there on the wall. 

Suddenly the door opened, and the footman announced the 
Archduke John. The emperor’s face became even more mo- 
rose. He cast the fly-flap aside, and murmured to himself, 
“My brothers never leave me any rest.” He then said in a 
loud voice, “ Let him come in.” 

A minute afterward the archduke entered the cabinet. His 
face was still joyously lit up by the soul-stirring solemnity in 
which he had participated in the morning ; his eye was yet 
radiant with noble enthusiasm and exultation, and a serene 
smile played around his lips. Thus he appeared before his 
brother, whose face seemed doubly gloomy in the presence of 
his own. 

“ I come to take leave of your majesty and bid farewell to 
my brother Francis,” he said, in a mild, tender voice. “ I in- 
tend to set out to-night for Gratz, and organize my staff 
there.” 

“God bless you, commander of the Southern army ! ” said 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 91 


the emperor, dryly ; “ God bless you, brother. You were all 
eager for war ; now you have it ! ” 

“And your majesty has witnessed the enthusiasm with 
which the Austrian people hailed the declaration of war. And 
not only the people of Austria, but all Germany, looks now 
with joy, hope, and pride toward Austria, and participates 
most cordially in our warlike enthusiasm.” 

“I do not care for that,” said the emperor, dryly. “ Thank 
God, I cast off the crown of Germany three years ago, and am 
no longer Emperor of Germany.” 

“ But one day, when your armies have conquered France 
and delivered the world from the insatiable usurper, Germany 
will gratefully lie down at your majesty’s feet and beseech 
you to accept the imperial crown again at her hands.” 

“ Much obliged, sir, hut I would not take it,” exclaimed the 
emperor, with a shrug. “ But say, brother, are you really con- 
vinced that we can and shall conquer Bonaparte ? ” 

“ I am. We shall conquer, if — ” 

“Well, if — ” asked the emperor, when the archduke hesi- 
tated. 

“If we are really determined to do so,” said John, looking 
the emperor full in the face ; “if we act harmoniously, if we 
do not impede each other, if no petty jealousies favor the ef- 
forts of one and frustrate those of the other. Oh, brother, 
permit me at this farewell hour to utter a few frank and truth- 
ful words, and I beg your majesty to forgive me if my heart 
opens to you in unreserved confidence. Brother, I confess 
frankly all is not as it should be here. Where concord should 
reign, there is discord ; where all should have their eyes fixed 
only on the great goal, and avail themselves of all means and 
forces, they are split up into factions bitterly hostile to each 
other. Oh, my gracious emperor, I beseech you, do not listen 
to these factions, do not confide in those who would like to 
arouse your suspicion against your brothers. Believe me, you 
have no more loyal, devoted, and obedient subject than I am ; 
therefore, confide in me, who wish only to contribute to the 
greatness, honor, and glory of my country and my emperor, 
to the best of my power, however insignificant it may be. My 
brother, there has long been a gulf between us ; God knows 
7 


92 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


that I did not dig it. But let us fill it up forever at this fare- 
well hour. I implore you, believe in my love, my devoted 
loyalty ; take me by the hand and say, ‘ John, I trust you ! I 
believe in you ! ’ See, I am waiting for these words as for the 
blessing which is to accompany me into battle, and rest on my 
heart like a talisman. Brother, speak these words of love and 
confidence ! Give me your hand— open your arms to your 
brother ! ” 

“ Why should we enact here a sentimental scene ? ” asked 
the emperor, harshly. “ I do not like such things, and want 
to see family dramas only performed on the stage. Thank 
God, I am not a theatrical emperor, but a real one, and will 
have nothing to do with scenes from plays. Nor do I know of 
any gulfs existing between you and me. I never perceived 
them, and was never disturbed thereby. But why do you pro- 
test your love and loyalty in so passionate a manner to me ? 
Who tells you, then, that I suspect them ? That would be 
equivalent to considering my brother a traitor, and it would 
be very unfortunate for him ; for toward traitors I shall al- 
ways be inexorable, whosover they may be, and whether they 
be persons of high or low rank. Let us speak no longer of it. 
But, besides, you have again advised me, without being re- 
quested to do so, and demand that I should not listen to any 
factions. I never do, brother. I never listen to any factions, 
neither to yours, nor to that of the others. I listen only to 
myself, and require submissiveness and obedience of my serv- 
ants. You are one of the latter ; go, then, and obey me. I 
have resolved on war ; go, then, to your corps and fight, as 
you are in duty bound, for your emperor and for Austria. 
Defeat Napoleon if you can. You are playing a game which 
may easily become dangerous to ourselves. You have stirred 
up an insurrection in the Tyrol ; you will have to bear the re- 
sponsibility if this insurrection shall be unsuccessful.” 

“ I will bear it, and God will forgive what I have done ! ” 
said John, solemnly. k ‘ Your majesty, you would not listen 
to the brother who offered you his love frankly and honestly. 
I have nothing to add to what I have said, nor shall I ever 
make another attempt to gain your confidence.” 

“ Is that intended as a threat ? ” asked the emperor, angrily. 


CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 93 


“No,” said John, mournfully, “I do not threaten you. I 
shall always bear in mind that I loved you, and that you 
are not only my lord and emperor, but also the son of my 
mother.” 

“ And I,” cried the emperor, vehemently, “ shall always 
bear in mind that you were the head of the faction which, by 
its insensate clamor for war, first aroused Napoleon’s anger, 
brought about demonstrations and armaments on our part, and 
finally obliged me to resolve on war, although I know full 
well that this resolution will inevitably involve Austria in 
great disaster. Let me likewise speak a farewell word to you, 
brother. We shall succumb again, although my wise and 
learned brothers are at the head of the army. I consulted the 
most experienced and sagacious men. I myself paid a visit to 
Count Cobenzl, who is lying at the point of death, and asked 
his opinion. He hates Napoleon as ardently as any one, and 
yet he is in favor of peace. I consulted the Prince de Ligne 
and Minister Thugut ; one is an ambitious captain, the other a 
vindictive diplomatist, who would like to overthrow Napo- 
leon ; and yet both were for peace with France, and I will tell 
you the reason why : because they know that among all my 
captains and generals there is not one determined and able 
enough to cope with Napoleon and his marshals : because 
they knew that even my brother Charles, the generalissimo, is 
vacillating and irresolute ; and because they do not know what 
an eminent captain the Archduke John would be, if he only 
had a chance to show his military talents. If, despite all this, 
I resolved on war, it was because circumstances, and not my 
convictions, obliged me to do it— circumstances which were 
mostly brought about by you and your friends.” 

“ Your majesty,” said John, in a grave and dignified man- 
ner, “permit me to say a few words in reply to what you 
have just said. You allude to my military talents, which you 
say I have not had a chance to show. Well, give me such a 
chance ; deliver me from the surveillance tying my hands ; 
let me pursue my path as your general freely and without 
restrictions, and I pledge you my word that I will reconquer 
the Tyrol and your Italian provinces.” 

“ See, see, what a nice plan ! ” exclaimed the emperor, 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


94 : 

laughing. “ You wish to be another generalissimo, and inde- 
pendent of any other commander’s will ? ” 

“ No, your majesty ; I wish to obtain only equal rights and 
authority to deliberate and decide jointly with my brother 
Charles.” 

“ It is very bold in you, sir, thus to oppose your generalis- 
simo,” said the emperor, sternly. “ To-day you will no longer 
obey the generalissimo — to-morrow you will perhaps refuse to 
obey the emperor. Not another word about it ! Go and do 
your duty. The Archduke Charles is generalissimo, and you 
will submit to his orders and instructions. Farewell, brother ; 
may God and the Holy Virgin bless you and your army ! ” 

“ Farewell, your majesty,” said the archduke, bowing cere- 
moniously to the emperor. He then turned hastily and left 
the room. 

The emperor looked after him with an angry air. “ I be- 
lieve the two archdukes will thwart each other on all occa- 
sions,” he said, in a low voice. “ There will not only be war 
with France, but also war between the factions in Austria, and 
the consequence will be, that my brothers will gain but very 
few laurels.” 

The Archduke John returned slowly to his rooms. After 
entering his cabinet, he sank on the divan, as if crushed and 
heart-broken. He sat a long time in silence, his head bent 
on his breast, and uttering from time to time heart-rending 
groans. After a long pause, he slowly lifted his tearful eyes 
to heaven. 

“ Thou knowest, my God,” he said, in a low voice, “ that 
my intentions are good and pure, and that I desire nothing 
but to serve my country and deliver it from the disgrace 
which it has had to submit to for so many years past. Thou 
knowest that I wish nothing for myself, but all for the father- 
land. Help me, my God, help our poor, unfortunate Austria ! 
Let us not succumb and perish ! Grant victory to our arms ! 
O Austria, O Germany, why can I not purchase liberty and 
independence for you with my blood ? But I can at least 
fight and die for you ! I shall welcome death, if my dying 
eyes can behold liberty dawning upon Germany ! ” 


’TIS TIME! 


95 


CHAPTER IX. 

’tis time ! 

It was late in the afternoon of the 8th of April. The set- 
ting sun was shedding his last red rays on the distant moun- 
tain-crests of the Janfen and the Timbler Toch, whose blood- 
red summits contrasted wonderfully with the deep azure of 
the clear sky. On the lower slopes of the mountains twilight 
had set in ; the pines, the daring chamois of the vegetable 
kingdom, which had climbed up to the highest parts of the 
mountains, cast the gray veil of dusk over these lower slopes. 
Below, in the Passey r valley, however, night already pre- 
vailed, for the mountains looming up on both sides of the 
valley filled it with darkness even before sundown ; and only 
the wild, roaring Passeyr, which rushes from the mountain 
through the valley, glistened like a silver belt in the gloom. 
The church- bells of the villages of St. Leonard and St. Martin, 
lying on both sides of the valley, tolled a solemn curfew, 
awakening here and there a low, sleepy echo ; and from time 
to time was heard from a mountain-peak a loud, joyous Jodler, 
by which a Tyrolese hunter, perhaps, announced his speedy 
return to his family in the valley. The gloom in the narrow 
Passeyrthal became deeper and deeper, and, like bright glow- 
worms, the lights in the houses of St. Leonard and St. Martin 
glistened now in the darkness. 

Lights appeared not only in the valley helow, but also here 
and there on the mountain-slopes ; and especially in the soli- 
tary house on the knoll situated half-way between the two 
villages, was seen the bright glare of many candles, and the 
persons passing on the road in the valley looked up and whis- 
pered to each other : “ Andreas Hofer is at home, and, it seems, 
has a great many guests at his house, for all the windows of 
his handsome inn are illuminated.” 

The solitary house on the knoll, then, belonged to Andreas 
Hofer. It was the Gasthaus zum Sand , far famed through- 
out the Tyrol. And the passers-by were not mistaken. An- 
dreas Hofer was at home, and had a great many guests at his 


96 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


house. On the benches of the large bar-room sat his guests, 
handsome Tyrolese, with flashing eyes and animated faces, 
which were all turned toward the Sandwirth,* who was sit- 
ting on the small table yonder, and conversing in a low tone 
with his friends Eisenstecken and Sieberer. All the guests 
seemed excited and anxious ; no one opened his mouth to 
utter merry jests ; none of the gay songs so popular among 
the Tyrolese resounded ; and the guests did not even venture 
to address playful remarks to Hofer’s pretty daughters, who 
were gliding noiselessly through the room to fill the empty 
heer-glasses. 

“ It seems,” murmured Anthony Sieberer, “ that the Aus- 
trian government has again postponed the matter, and we 
shall vainly look for the arrival of the message. This new 
delay puts an end to the whole movement. ” 

“ I do not think so,” said Hofer, gravely, and loud enough 
to be heard by all. “ Do not despond, my dear friends! The 
Austrian government will assuredly keep its word, for the 
dear brave Archduke John promised me in the emperor’s 
name that Austria would succor the Tyrolese, and send troops 
into our country, if we would be in readiness on the 9th of 
April to rise against the Bavarians. My dear friends, do you 
put no confidence, then, in the word of our excellent emperor 
and the good archduke, who has always loved us so dearly ?” 

“ No, no, we put implicit confidence in their word ! ” 
shouted the Tyrolese, with one accord. 

“ The messenger will surely come, just have a little pa- 
tience,” added Hofer, with a pleasant nod ; “ the day is not 
yet at an end, and until midnight we may smoke yet many a 
pipe and drink many a glass of beer. — Anna Gertrude, see to 
it that the glasses of the guests are always well filled.” 

Anna Gertrude, a fine-looking matron of thirty-six, with 
florid cheeks and flashing hazel eyes, had just placed before 
her husband another jug, filled with foaming beer, and she 
nodded now to her Andy with a smile, showing two rows of 
faultless white teeth. 

“ I and the girls will attend to the guests,” she said, “ but 

* The name usually given to Hofer— Sandwirth, landlord of the inn 
“ Zum Sand.” 


’TIS TIME! 


97 


the men do not drink any thing. The glasses and jugs are all 
filled, but they do not empty them, and — Look ! who comes 
there ? ” 

Andreas Hofer turned his head toward the door ; then 
suddenly he uttered a cry of surprise and jumped up. 

“ Halloo ! ” he exclaimed, “ I believe this is the messenger 
whom we are looking for.” And he pointed his outstretched 
arm at the small, dark form entering the room at this moment. 

“ It is Major Teimer,” he continued, joyfully ; “ I suppose 
you know yet our dear major of 1805 ? ” 

“Hurrah! Martin Teimer is there,” shouted the Tyrolese, 
rising from their seats, and hastening to the new-comer to 
shake bands with him and bid him heartily welcome. 

Martin Teimer thanked them warmly for this kind recep- 
tion, and a flash of sincere gratification burst from his shrewd 
blue eyes. 

“ I thought I should meet all the brave men of the Passeyr 
valley at Andy’s house to-night,” he said, “and I therefore 
greet you all at once, my dear comrades of 1805. That year 
was disastrous to us, but I think the year 1809 will be a 
better one, and we shall regain to-day what we lost at that 
time.” 

“ Yes, we shall, as sure as there is a God,” shouted the 
Tyrolese ; and Andreas Hofer laid his arm on Teimer’s 
shoulder and gazed deeply into his eyes. 

“ Say, Martin Teimer, are all things in readiness, and do 
you bring us word to rise ? ” 

“ I do, all things are in readiness,” said Teimer, solemnly. 
“ Our countryman, Baron von Hormayr, whom the Austrian 
government appointed governor and intendant of the Austrian 
forces which are to co-operate with us, sends me to Andreas 
Hofer, whom I am to inform that the Austrian troops, com- 
manded by Marquis von Chasteler and General Hiller, will 
cross the Tyrolese frontier to-night.” 

“ Hurrah, hurrah ! the Austrians are coming ! ” shouted 
the Tyrolese, jubilantly, swinging their pointed hats in the 
air. “The war has broken out, the Austrians are coming, 
and we will expel the Bavarians from the country ! ” 

Andreas Hofer’s face, too, was radiant with joy ; but, in- 


98 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


stead of singing and shouting, he was silent, lifted his eyes 
slowly to heaven, and seized with both his hands the crucifix 
resting on his breast. 

“ Let us pray, my friends,” he said in a loud and solemn 
voice ; “ let us thank our Lord God and our patron saint in 
the stillness of our hearts.” 

The men paused ; like Andreas Hofer, they clasped their 
hands, bent their heads, and muttered fervent prayers. 

After a long pause Hofer raised his head again. “ And 
now, men, listen to what I have to say to you,” he exclaimed, 
cheerfully. “ I have invited you all because you are the most 
influential and respectable men in this part of the country, 
and because the fatherland has need of you and counts upon 
you and me. The sharpshooters of the Passeyrthal told me, 
if war should break out, I must be their captain ; and I ac- 
cepted the position because I think that every one is in duty 
bound to risk his limbs and life for the sake of the fatherland, 
and place himself just where he can serve it best. But if I 
am to be your captain, you must all assist me to the best of 
your power. We must act harmoniously, and strain every 
nerve to deliver the fatherland and restore the Tyrol to our 
beloved emperor.” 

“We are resolved to do so,” shouted the men, with one 
accord. 

“ I know it full well,” said Andreas Hofer, joyously. “ Let 
us go to work, then, and circulate throughout the Tyrol the 
message that the Austrians are coming, and that it is time. 
Say, Teimer, did you not bring a written message with 
you ? ” 

“Here is a letter from Hormayr,” said Martin Teimer, 
drawing a large sealed paper from his bosom. 

Andreas took it and opened it quickly. But while he was 
reading it, a slight cloud overspread his countenance, and for 
a moment he cast a rapid, searching glance on Martin Teim- 
er’s bright, keen face ; however, no sooner had he met Teim- 
er’s stealthy, inquiring glance, than he quickly turned his 
eyes again to the paper. 

“ Well,” he said then, striking the paper with his right hand, 
“ the statements contained in this letter are entirely in accord- 


’TIS TIME! 


99 


ance with our wishes. We are to rise at once, for already to- 
morrow the Austrians will have crossed our frontiers. Marquis 
von Chasteler will march from Carinthia into the Puster val- 
ley ; General Hiller is moving from Salzburg toward the 
Lower Inn valley ; the former thinks he will reach Brixen in 
the course of four days ; the latter says he will be at Innspruck 
within the same time. I and Martin Teimer here, who no 
longer keeps a tobacco-shop at Klagenfurth, but is again Major 
Teimer as he was four years ago — we are to direct and man- 
age every thing in the Tyrol, and are intrusted with the duty 
of seeing to it that the flames of the insurrection burst 
forth now as speedily as possible from one end of the Tyrol to 
the other, and that it shall become a conflagration that will 
burn up all Frenchmen and Bavarians, or compel them to 
escape from the country. Assist us, then, my men, in spread- 
ing the news over the mountains and through the valleys, 
that all may rise and participate in the great work of deliver- 
ance. Every able-bodied man is to shoulder his rifle, and the 
women and children are to carry, from house to house, little 
balls of paper on which are written the words : ‘ ’Tis time ! ’ 
as we have agreed at our meetings. And now, in compliance 
with the promise I gave Hormayr in Vienna, I will issue a 
circular to all our friends that they may know what to do 
under these circumstances. Is there among yoiyany one who 
can write well and correctly, and to whom I may dictate ? 
for my own handwriting is none of the best, and although 
what I write may be thought correctly, it is not spelled as 
learned men tell us it should be. If there is among you one 
who can write nicely and correctly what I wish to dictate, let 
him come forward.” 

“ I can do it,” said a young man, stepping forward. 

“It is Joseph Ennemoser, son of John Ennemoser, the 
Seewirth,” said Andreas Hofer, smiling. “ Yes, I believe you 
are a good scribe ; you have become quite a scholar and an 
aristocratic gentleman, and are studying medicine at the Uni- 
versity of Innspruck.” 

“ For all that, I have remained an honest mountaineer ; 
and as for my studies, I will not think of them until we have 
delivered the Tyrol from the Bavarian yoke. I shall keep 



100 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


only my pen, and act as Andreas Hofer’s obedient secre- 
tary.” * 

“Sit down, then, my boy, and write. You will find pen 
and ink in the drawer of yonder table. Take them, and I 
will dictate to you.” 

And amidst the respectful silence of the men, walking up 
and down slowly, and stroking his long beard with his right 
hand, Andreas Hofer commenced dictating his “ open order,” 
which was as follows : 

“ Early in the morning of the 9th of April General Hiller 
will march from Salzburg to the Lower Inn valley, and 
General von Chasteler from Carinthia to the Puster valley. 
On the 11th or 12th of April the former will arrive at Inns- 
pruck, and the latter at Brixen. The Archduke John orders 
that the Miihlbach pass be occupied by peasants from the 
Puster valley, and the Kuntersweg by mounted men. They 
are to allow all forces of the enemy marching from Botzen 
to Brixen to pass, and will cut off all communications only so 
soon as they discover that the Bavarian civilians and soldiers 
are trying to escape from Brixen to Botzen. Not a man must 
be allowed to pass then.” 

While Andreas Hofer was dictating his “open order” 
with a firm and thoughtful air, the peasants stood dum- 
founded with admiration, staring at him with a feeling of 
awe, and delighted with his sagacity and understanding. 
That Hofer cast from time to time a searching glance at Hor- 
mayr’s letter did not disturb the admiration they felt for their 
chosen leader, and they were silent and stared at him long 
after he was through. 

“So,” said Andreas when the writing was finished, “now 
Martin Teimer and I will affix our names to this open order ; 
Ennemoser will then copy it half a dozen times, and six of 
you will carry the copies to the other leaders who are already 
waiting for them, and who will give the signal to their friends 

* Joseph Ennemoser, son of John Ennemoser, the tailor and Seewirth 
of the Passeyrthal, was a shepherd in his boyhood. His father sent him to 
the gymnasium of Innspruck, and afterward to the university of the same 
city, where he studied medicine. In 1809 he was Hofer’s secretary. After- 
ward he became a celebrated professor of medicine at the University of Bonn. 


’TIS TIME! 


101 


in the lower valley. You, George Lanthaler, will carry the 
order to Joseph Speckbacher at Kufstein ; you, Joseph Gutter, 
will take it to the farmer at the Schildhof ; you, George Stein- 
hauferle, will go to Anthony Wallner, the Aichberger at Win - 
disch-Matrey. Quick, quick, my friends, we have no time to 
lose ; you must walk night and day ; you cannot rest on the 
road, for we must strike the blow with lightning speed, and 
it must be done at the same time all over the country.” 

And I will likewise set out again to spread the news 
throughout the country,” said Martin Teimer. “ For two 
weeks past I have been in all parts of the Tyrol, and have 
worked everywhere for our cause, and know now that we may 
count upon all our countrymen. They are waiting for the 
signal, and we must give it to them. Here, take this package ; 
it contains a large number of those little paper balls upon 
which are written the words ‘ ’Tis time ! ’ Each of you can 
take a handful of them and give them to your wives and chil- 
dren, that they may carry them to the neighbors and distrib- 
ute them everywhere. Speckbacher and Wallner, too, have 
packages of such paper balls, and so soon as our faithful mes- 
sengers bring them our ‘ open order,’ they will likewise send 
around their wives and children through the neighborhood ; 
and everywhere the cry will be, ‘ ’Tis time ! ’ We must expel 
the Bavarians ! I will go now, for I must concentrate my 
men in order to prevent the Bavarians from crossing the 
bridge of Laditch. Farewell, then, and God grant that we 
may all meet again before long as free and happy men at our 
good city of Innspruck ! ” 

“We must go too,” exclaimed the Tyrolese when Martin 
Teimer had left the house as quickly as he had entered it. 
“We must go into the mountains and inform our friends that 
it is time.” 

“ But go through the kitchen, my dear messengers,” 
said Andreas Hofer ; “ there is a bag of flour for each of you ; 
take it on your back, and on passing during your march 
a rivulet or a mountain torrent, throw some of the flour into 
it ; and wherever you find dry brushwood on the road, pile 
it up and kindle it, that the bale-fires may proclaim to the 
country, k ’Tis time ! ’ ” 


102 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Half an hour afterward the large bar-room was deserted, 
and profound silence reigned in the inn Zum Sand. The serv- 
ants and children of the Sandwirth had gone to bed ; only 
he himself and his faithful wife, Anna Gertrude, were yet up. 
Both had retired into the small sitting-room adjoining the bar- 
room. Andreas Hofer was walking up and down there 
silently and thoughtfully, his hands folded on his back ; Ger- 
trude sat in the leather-covered arm-chair at the stove, and 
looked at her husband. Every thing was still around them ; 
only the slow, regular ticking of the clock broke the profound 
silence, and outside was to be heard the wild roaring of the 
Passeyr, which hurled its furious foaming waters not far from 
the inn over pebbles and fragments of rocks. 

Finally, after a long pause, Andreas stood still in front of 
his wife, and gazed at her with a long, searching, and tender 
look. Gertrude, as if lifted up by this glance, rose, encircled 
his neck quickly with her arms, and looked with an expression 
of terror and anxiety into his face. 

“ Andy,” she exclaimed, mournfully, “ my own, dearest 
Andy, I am afraid harm will befall you ! ” 

<l That is what I expect,” he said, sighing, u and I am sorry 
for you, my dearest wife. I was just speaking with God and 
my conscience, and asking them so fervently if it was not wrong 
in me not to think above all things of my dear wife and my be- 
loved children, and if I ought not to live and die only for 
them. For I tell you, and I know, what I am going to do is 
dangerous, and may easily cost my life. I do not blind my 
eyes to it ; I may lose my life in either of two ways. A bullet 
may strike me in battle ; or, if my life should be spared in the 
struggle, and if we should be defeated, the Bavarians would 
treat me as a traitor ; and then a bullet would strike me also, 
for they would shoot me.” 

“ Oh, Jesus Maria ! my Andy,” cried Gertrude, taking 
Hofer’s head in her hands, as if to protect it from the murder- 
ous bullets. 

“ I do not say that this will occur ; I say only that it may 
occur,” said Andreas, with a gentle smile. “ I wish to tell you 
only that I am fully alive to the dangers threatening me when 
I step to-morrow morning out of my street-door, and enter 


’TIS TIME! 


103 


upon the duties of the position which they have conferred on 
me ; for I am to command the peasants of the Passeyr valley 
and direct the insurrection in all this part of the country. 
Therefore, I asked God and my conscience whether or not 
I did right in taking upon myself so responsible a task, 
and plunging my family, perhaps, into grief and distress. 
But do you know what both of them replied to me ? They 
said : ‘ It is your duty to love your wife and your children ; 
but you must also love your emperor and your country ; and 
when the latter call you and say, “ Come, we need your arm 
and assistance,” you must, as an honest man, obey the call, go 
to them, and leave your family ; for to love the fatherland is 
every man’s highest honor, and to be loyal and devoted to 
the emperor is the first duty of every Tyrolese.’ God and my 
conscience spoke to me thus in my breast, and now I ask you 
too, dear wife — I ask you before God and your conscience — 
would you like your husband not to obey the emperor’s call, but 
stay at home, while his brave brethren and friends are taking 
the field to defend the country and expel the Bavarians ? ” 

“ No, indeed, Andy, I would not,” cried Gertrude, in dis- 
may ; “I should never dare again to lift my eyes before any- 
body ; I should not even venture to pray to the Holy Virgin 
and to God, for, as both gave up their divine Son, so an honest 
woman must give up her husband for the sake of the father- 
land.” 

Andreas laid his hand on his wife’s head as if to bless her. 
“ It is as you say, Gertrude,” he said, solemnly. “ For the sake 
of the fatherland and the emperor you must give up your hus- 
band, and your children their father ; and we are not allowed 
to shut our ears in order not to hear that the dear Tyrol and 
the good Emperor Francis have called me. I have heard the 
call, and must obey it. I shall do so joyously and readily, and 
yet my heart grieves, and there is in my breast here something 
telling me that our happiness is at an end, that our sun has 
set, and — Gertrude, I am not ashamed of it — I weep ! ” 

He leaned his head against his wife’s shoulder, and, folding 
her to his heart, sobbed aloud. But this lasted only a short 
time ; then he raised himself again, and drew his hand quickly 
across his eyes. 


104 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“There,” he said, “it is all over now. I wept as a good 
Christian is surely allowed to do when he takes leave of his 
wife and his children, and gives them up for the sake of his 
country. Did not Abraham weep too, and beg God for mercy, 
when he was to sacrifice his son to the Almighty ? But he 
nevertheless was ready to make the sacrifice. And, like Abra- 
ham, I have wept and lamented now, but I shall make the 
sacrifice. — Here I am, my God,” he added, lifting his eyes and 
hands to Heaven ; “ here I am, for Thou hast called me. Do 
with me as thou deemest best. I am nothing but Thy faith- 
ful servant ; but if Thou wishest to use me for Thy great pur- 
poses, do so ! I offer Thee my arms, my body, and my life ! 
Take them ! ” 

“ But thou, Holy Virgin,” murmured Gertrude, “ and thou 
Saint George, our patron saint, stretch out your arms over 
him graciously and protect my Andy. Bear in mind that he 
is my most precious treasure on earth ! Preserve my dear 
husband to me, and to my children the father whom they love 
so ardently ! ” 

“ Amen ! ” exclaimed Andreas. “ And now, dearest wife, 
come and give me a kiss, a parting kiss ! ” 

“ You do not intend to set out this very night ? ” asked 
Gertrude, anxiously. 

“ No, Gertrude, but still it is a parting kiss. For hence- 
forth I must become another man — a hard man, who will no 
longer think of his family, but only of the fatherland and the 
emperor. I wept a few minutes ago as a good father and 
husband, but now I must become as hard as a good soldier 
ought to be. Until the Bavarians have been expelled from 
the country, I shall no longer think of you and the children, 
but shall be only a brave and intrepid soldier of my lord and 
emperor, and the commander of the Passeyr militia. Kiss 
me, therefore, a last time, Anna Gertrude ! There ! Give me 
another kiss ! Who knows but it may be the last time you 
will ever kiss me, dear Gertrude ? And here is still another 
kiss for our girls. Now it is enough. Go to bed now, Ger- 
trude, and pray for me.” 

“ You will not go to bed, Andy ? ” asked Gertrude, anx- 
iously. 


’TIS TIME! 


105 


“No, I will not, Anna Gertrude. I have business to attend 
to in the yard with Joe, our laborer. We will kill the brin- 
dled cow.” 

“ What ? This very night ? ” 

“This very night. We need the blood and meat. We 
shall pour the blood into the Passeyr, and you will see to-mor- 
row that we need the meat, for I believe we shall have a great 
many guests in the morning.” 

Andreas Hofer's prophecy was fulfilled. Already early in 
the morning a great many men assembled in front of the inn 
ZumjSand. They were the sharpshooters of the Passeyr val- 
ley, who were flocking from all parts of the district to Hofer’s 
house to report to the beloved commander of Passeyr. They 
came down from the mountains and up from the valleys. 
They wore their holiday dresses, and their yellow Sunday hats 
were decorated with bouquets of rosemary and handsome rib- 
bons. They were merry and in the best of spirits, as if they 
were going to the dance ; only instead of their rosy-cheeked 
girls, they held their trusty rifles in their arms. Nevertheless, 
they smacked their lips, uttered loud exclamations of joy, and 
shouted as merrily as larks — “ ’Tis time ! The Bavarians 
must leave the country ! Long live the emperor ! Long live 
the Archduke John ! ” 

And echo seemed to answer, “The Bavarians must leave 
the country ! ” But it was not echo that had repeated these 
words. They proceeded from the throats of merry men, and 
a gay procession descended now from the mountain-path. It 
consisted of the sharpshooters and peasants of Meran and 
Algund, who were marching up in the beautiful costumes of 
the Adige valley. Oh, how their eyes flashed, and the rifles in 
their arms also. And with what jubilant Jodlers the men of 
Passeyr received their dear friends from Algund and Meran. 

All at once every sound was hushed, for in the door of the 
inn appeared Andreas Hofer, looking like a king in his hand- 
some holiday attire ; his good-natured, honest face gleamed 
with joy, and his glance was mild and clear, and yet so firm 
and commanding. His whole bearing breathed calm dignity, 
and it seemed to the men of Passeyr as though the morning 
sun which illuminated his face surrounded his head with a 


106 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


golden halo. They stood aside with timid reverence and awe. 
Hofer advanced into the middle of the circle which the men 
of Passey r, Meran, and Algund formed around him. He then 
looked around and greeted the men on all sides with a smile, 
a pleasant nod, and a wave of his hand. 

“My friends,” he exclaimed in a loud voice, “the day has 
come when we must expel the Bavarians from the country 
and restore the Tyrol to the Austrians. ’Tis time ! The Bava- 
rians have amply deserved such treatment at our hands, for 
they have sorely oppressed us. When you had finished a 
wooden image, could you carry it to Vienna and sell it ? No, 
you could not ! Is that freedom ? You are Tyrolese; at least 
your fathers called themselves so; now you are to call your- 
selves Bavarians. And, moreover, our ancient castle of Tyrol 
in the Passeyr valley was not spared ! Are you satisfied with 
this ? If you harvest three blades of corn, the government 
claims two of them; is that happiness and prosperity? But 
there is a Providence and there are angels ; and it was re- 
vealed to me that if we resolved to aVenge our wrongs, God 
and St. George, our patron saint, would help us. Up, then, 
against the Bavarians ! Tear the villains with your teeth 
while they stand; but when they kneel down and pray, give 
them quarter. Up against the Bavarians ! ’Tis time !” 

“ Up against the Bavarians ! ’tis time ! ” shouted all the 
brave men, enthusiastically; and the mountain echoes an- 
swered : “ Up against the Bavarians ! ’tis time ! ” 

And the blood-red waters of the Passeyr carried down into 
the valley the message : “ Up against the Bavarians ! ’tis 
time ! ” 


CHAPTER X. 

ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. 

An unusual commotion reigned in the market-place of 
Windisch-Matrey on the afternoon of the 9th of April. The 
men and youths of Windisch-Matrey and its environs were 
assembled there in dense groups, and thronged in constantly- 


ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. 107 


increasing masses round the house of the innkeeper Anthony 
Aichberger, called Wallner. The women, too, had left their 
houses and huts, and hastened to the market-place. Their 
faces were as threatening as those of the men ; their eyes shot 
fire, and their whole hearing betokened unusual excitement. 
Everywhere loud and vehement words were uttered, clinched 
fists were raised menacingly, and glances of secret understand- 
ing were exchanged. 

The liveliest scene, however, took place in the large bar- 
room of the inn. The foremost men of the whole district, 
strong, well-built forms, with defiant faces and courageous 
bearing, had assembled there around Anthony Wallner- Aich- 
berger. They spoke but little, but sat on the benches against 
the walls of the room, and stared into their glasses, which 
Eliza, Wallner’s eldest daughter, filled again and again with 
beer. Even the young girl, who was usually so gay and 
spirited, seemed to-day sad and dejected. Formerly her merry 
laughter and clear, ringing voice were heard everywhere; to- 
day she was moody and taciturn. Formerly her cheeks glowed 
like purple roses, a charming arch expression played around 
her beautiful small mouth, and the fire and spirit of youth 
beamed from her large black eyes ; to-day, only a faint crim- 
son tinged Eliza’s cheeks, her lips were firmly compressed, and 
her eyes were dim and lustreless. From time to time, while 
waiting on the guests, she cast an anxious, searching glance 
through the windows over the market-place, and seemed to 
listen to the hum of voices, which often became as deafening 
as the wild roar of the storm, and shook the window-panes. 

Anthony Wallner, her father, was likewise grave and 
anxious, and in walking to the groups of guests seated on the 
benches here and there, he glanced uneasily toward the win- 
dows. 

“ It may be that they will not come, after all, Tony, and 
that the Viennese have fooled you,” whispered old Thurn- 
walden from Meran to him. 

“ I cannot comprehend it,” sighed Anthony Wallner. “ The 
insurrection was to break out on the 9th of April, and the Aus- 
trian troops were to cross the frontier on that day ; and this 
was the reason why we have hitherto resisted the conscription 
8 


108 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and refused to pay the new taxes. But the 9th of April has 
come now, and we have received no message from Hofer or 
the Austrians.” 

“ And to-day the time which the Bavarians have given us 
is up,” growled George Hinnthal ; “ if our young lads do not 
report voluntarily to the enrolling officers by this evening, 
they will be arrested to-morrow.” 

“ They shall not be arrested,” exclaimed one of the Tj^rolese, 
striking the table with his powerful fist. 

“ No, they shall not be arrested,” echoed all, in loud, defiant 
tones. 

“ But you will not be able to prevent them,” said old Thurn- 
walden, when all were silent again and had drunk a long 
draught from their glasses as if to confirm their words. “ You 
know there is a whole company of soldiers at Castle Weissen- 
stein, and Ulrich von Hohenberg, the castellan’s nephew, is 
their captain. He is a Bavarian, body and soul, and, if we 
resist the authorities, he will lead his men with muskets and 
field-pieces against us.” 

“ Why, you have become greatly discouraged, Caspar Thurn- 
walden,” said Anthony Wallner, sneeringly, “and one would 
almost think you had turned a friend of the Bavarians. We 
have got as good muskets as the Bavarians, and if they shoot 
we shall shoot back. And as for the field-pieces, why, we have 
got wheels and may roll down cannon from Castle Weissen- 
stein to Windisch-Matrey. But come, my dear friends, I see 
the Bavarian tax-collectors walking across the market-place 
yonder. They look very grim and stern, as if they meant to 
devour us all. Let us go out and see what is going on.” 

The men rose as if obeying a military order, and followed 
Anthony Wallner from the room to the market-place. Eliza 
Wallner was for a moment alone in the room; and now that 
she had no longer to fear the eyes of the guests, she sank quite 
exhausted on a chair and buried her face in her trembling 
hands. 

“ What am I to do ? ” she murmured in a low voice. “ Oh, 
God in heaven, would I could die this very hour ! ” 

“ Why do you weep, Lizzie ? ” asked a gentle voice by her 
side, and, on looking up, Eliza beheld the grave, sympathetic 


ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. 1Q9 


face of her mother, who had just entered the room without be- 
ing heard by her. Eliza sprang up and embraced her mother 
with passionate tenderness. “Dearest mamma,” she whis- 
pered, “ I am afraid. ” 

“ Afraid of what ? ” asked her mother, in a low voice. “ Are 
you afraid the Austrians may not come, and the Bavarians 
may then imprison your dear father, because they have found 
out that he has instigated the people to disobey their behests ? ” 

“No,” said Eliza, blushing with shame, “no, that is not 
what 1 am afraid of. They will not dare to arrest my dear 
father, for they know full well that the people of the whole 
district are greatly attached to him, and that the men of the 
whole Puster valley would rise to deliver Anthony Wallner. 
It is something else, dearest mother ; come with me into the 
chamber ; there I will tell you all.” 

She drew her mother hastily into the chamber adjoining 
the bar-room and closed the door after her. 

“ Mother,” she said, tremblingly and breathlessly, “ listen 
to me now. I am sure the Austrians are coming, and if the 
men outside hear of it, they will kill all the Bavarians.” 

“ Let them do it,” said her mother composedly ; “ the 
mean, sneaking Bavarians have certainly deserved to be 
killed after the infamous treatment we have endured at their 
hands.” 

“ But, mother, there are also good men among them,” ex- 
claimed Eliza. “You know very well I am a loyal Tyrolese 
girl, and love my emperor dearly, for you have taught me 
from my earliest youth that it was incumbent on me to do so. 
But, mother, there are also good men among the Bavarians. 
There is, for instance, Ulrich von Hohenberg up at Castle 
Weissenstein. You know his cousin has always treated me as 
a sister ; we have grown up together, and I was allowed to 
participate in her lessons and learn what she learned. We 
were always together, and even now I have not ceased going 
to Castle Weissenstein, although it is garrisoned by a detach- 
ment of Bavarian soldiers. Father himself wished me to go 
to the young lady as heretofore, for he said it would look sus- 
picious if I should stay away all of a sudden. Therefore I 
went to see my dear friend Eliza von Hohenberg every day, 


110 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and I always met there her cousin, the captain of the Bavarian 
soldiers. He is a very kind-hearted and merry gentleman, 
mother, and it is no fault of his that he is a Bavarian. His 
father, our castellan’s brother, has lived for thirty years past 
down at Munich, and his son entered the Bavarian service 
long before he knew that we people of Windisch-Matrey de- 
sire to become Austrian subjects again. Now his general sent 
him hither with his soldiers for the purpose of helping the 
officers to collect the taxes and enroll the names of our young 
men. Is he to blame for the necessity he is under of obeying 
the orders of his general ? ” 

“ No, he is not,” said her mother, gravely. 

u But when the Austrians come now, and my father and 
the other men rise, and expel and kill the Bavarians, they will 
kill Ulrich von Hohenberg too, although it is not his fault 
that he is a Bavarian. Oh, dearest mamma, he is such a good, 
kind-hearted young man ! he is my dear Eliza’s cousin and 
our castellan’s nephew, and you know how well Eliza and her 
father have treated me, and that they take care of me, when- 
ever I am at the castle, as though I were the castellan’s own 
child. Dearest mamma, shall we permit our men to kill the 
nephew of our excellent castellan ? ” 

u No, we will not, Lizzie,” said her mother, resolutely. 
u Quick, run up the footpath leading to the castle. Tell the 
young officer that the Tyrolese are going to deliver themselves 
from the Bavarian yoke, and that he had better effect his es- 
cape while there is time.” 

“ Mother, he will not do it, for he is a brave young man ! ” 
sighed Eliza ; “ and then — I cannot betray father’s secret to 
him. If the Austrians did not come after all, and I had told 
Ulrich von Hohenberg what father and the other Tyrolese 
intend to do, would I not be a traitress, and would not father 
curse me ? ” 

“ True, true, that will not do,” said her mother musingly ; 
M your father would never forgive you. But I know what you 
must do. Just run up to the castle and act as though you 
wished only to pay a visit to your friend Eliza ; no one knows 
as yet what is going to occur. None of your friends have dis- 
closed the secret ; and the castellan too, though I think he is 


ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. m 


a good Austrian at heart, does not yet know any thing about 
it. Your father told me so this very morning. You will 
remain at the castle, and so soon as you hear the report of a 
rifle on the market-place here, you will know that the insur- 
rection is breaking out. There is father’s rifle ; when it is 
time, I will step out of the back gate with it and shoot. You 
will hear the report, and tell the young officer that the Tyro- 
lese are going to rise, and that he had better conceal himself 
until the first rage of the insurgents has blown over.” 

“ Yes, I will do so,” exclaimed Eliza ; u I will run up to 
the castle now. Good-by, dearest mamma.” 

She imprinted a kiss on the hand of her mother, and then 
sped away as gracefully as a young roe. 

“ She is a very good girl,” said her mother, looking after 
her smilingly, “ and has a soft and compassionate heart. She 
wishes to save the castellan’s nephew merely because she 
pities the young man who is exposed to such imminent dan- 
ger. It is very kind of her ! It — But, Holy Virgin ! what 
is the matter outside ? Is the outbreak to commence already ? 
I believe it is my Tony who is talking outside in so loud a voice. 
I must go and hear what is the matter.” 

She hastened through the bar-room to the street-door open- 
ing upon the market place. 

Yes, it was Anthony Wallner-Aichberger who was gesticu- 
lating so violently yonder. Round him stood the men of 
Windisch-Matrey, looking with gloomy faces at the three 
Bavarian revenue officers who were standing in front of Wall- 
ner. 

“I repeat it, sir,” exclaimed Anthony Wallner at this mo- 
ment with an air of mock gravity, “ that we are all very loyal 
and obedient subjects, and that it is wrong in you, Mr. Tax- 
collector, to call us stubborn, seditious fellows. If we were 
such, would we not, being so numerous here, punish you and 
your two officers for speaking of us so contemptuously and 
disrespectfully ? ” 

“ You know full well that, at a wave of my hand, the com- 
pany of soldiers will rush down from Castle Weissenstein and 
shoot you all as traitors and rebels,” said the tax-collector 
haughtily. 


112 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Well, Mr. Tax-collector,” exclaimed Wallner, smilingly, 
“as for the shooting, we are likewise well versed in that. We 
are first-rate marksmen, we Tyrolese ! ” 

“ What ! ” cried the tax-collector, furiously, “ do you speak 
again of Tyrolese ? Did I not forbid you to call yourselves 
so ? You are no Tyrolese, but inhabitants of South-Bavaria, 
do you hear ? His majesty the King of Bavaria does not want 
any Tyrolese as subjects, but only Southern Bavarians, as I 
have told you twice already.” * 

“Very well ; if his majesty does not want any Tyrolese as 
subjects, you need not tell us so more than once,” exclaimed 
Anthony Wallner. “He prefers Southern Bavarians, does 
he ? Bear that in mind, Tyrolese ; the King of Bavaria wants 
only Southern Bavarians.” 

“We will bear that in mind,” shouted the Tyrolese ; and 
loud, scornful laughter rolled like threatening thunder across 
the market-place. 

“ You laugh,” exclaimed the tax-collector, endeavoring to 
stifle his rage ; “I am glad you are so merry. To-morrow, 
perhaps, you will laugh no longer ; for I tell you, if you do 
not pay to day the fine imposed on you, I shall have it forci- 
bly collected by the soldiers at daybreak to-morrow morning.” 

“We must really pay the fine, then?” asked Anthony 
Wallner, with feigned timidity. “You will not relent, then, 
Mr. Tax-collector? We really must pay the heavy fine, be- 
cause we had a little fun the other day ? For you must say 
yourself, sir, we really did no wrong.” 

“ You did no wrong ? You were in open insurrection. On 
the birthday of your gracious master the king, instead of hang- 
ing out Bavarian flags, as you had been ordered, you hung out 
Austrian flags everywhere.” 

“ No, Mr. Tax-collector, you did not see right ; we hung 
out none but Bavarian flags.” 

“ That is false ! I myself walked through the whole place, 
and saw every thing with my own eyes. Your flags did not 
contain the Bavarian colors, blue and white, but black and 
yellow, the Austrian colors.” 

“ Possibly they may have looked so,” exclaimed Anthony 
* See “ Gallery of Heroes : Life of Andreas Hofer,” p. 15 . 


ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. H3 

Wallner, “but that was not our fault. The flags were our old 
Bavarian flags : but they were already somewhat old, the blue 
was faded and looked like yellow, and the white had become 
quite dirty and looked like black.” 

“Thunder and lightning ! Wallner. is right,” exclaimed 
the Tyrolese, bursting into loud laughter. “ The flags were 
our old Bavarian flags, but they were faded and dirty. ” 

The young lads, who had hitherto stood in groups around 
the outer edge of the market-place, now mingled with the 
crowd to listen to the speakers ; and a young Tyrolese, with 
his rifle on his arm, and his pointed hat over his dark curly 
hair, approached with such impetuous curiosity that he sud- 
denly stood close to the tax-collector. However, he took no 
notice of the officer, but looked with eager attention at Wall- 
ner, and listened to his words. 

But the grim eyes of one of the two bailiffs noticed with 
dismay that this impudent fellow dared to place himself close 
by the side of the tax-collector without taking off his hat. 
Striking with his fist on the young fellow’s hat, he drove it 
deep over his forehead. 

“Villain !” he shouted, in a threatening voice, “do you 
not see the tax-collector ? ” 

The young fellow drew the hat with an air of embarrass- 
ment from his forehead, and crimsoning with rage, but in 
silence, stepped back into the circle of the murmuring men. 

“That is just what you deserve, Joe,” said Anthony Wall- 
ner. “Why did a smart Tyrolese boy like you come near 
us Southern Bavarians when we were talking about public 
affairs ? ” 

At this moment a lad elbowed himself hastily through the 
crowd. His dress was dusty, his face was flushed and heated, 
and it seemed as though he had travelled many miles on foot. 
To those who stood in his way he said in a breathless, panting 
voice : “ Please stand aside. I have to deliver something to 
Anthony Wallner- Aichberger ; I must speak with him.” 

The men willingly stood aside. Now he was close behind 
Wallner, and, interrupting him in his speech, he whispered to 
him : “ I come from Andreas Hofer ; he sends you his greet- 
ings and this paper. I have run all night to bring it to you.” 


114 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


He handed a folded paper to Wallner, who opened it with 
hands trembling with impatience. 

It was Andreas Hofer’s “ open order.” 

Wallner’s face brightened up, he cast a fiery glance around 
the place filled with - his friends, and fixed his flashing eyes 
then on the hat of the bailiff who had rebuked the young 
Tyrolese in so overbearing a manner. At a hound he was by 
his side, drove the bailiff’s round official hat with one blow of 
his fist over his head, so that his whole face disappeared in the 
crown, and exclaimed in a loud, ringing voice : 

“ Villain ! do you not see the Tyrolese ? ” 

A loud outburst of exultation greeted Wallner’s bold deed, 
and all the men crowded around him, ready to protect An- 
thony Wallner, and looking at the tax-collector with flashing, 
threatening eyes. 

The latter seemed as if stunned by the sudden change in 
Wallner’s demeanor, and he looked in dismay at the audacious 
innkeeper who was standing close in front of him and staring 
at him with a laughing face. 

“ What does this mean ? ” he asked at length, in a tremu- 
lous voice. 

“ It means that we want to be Tyrolese again,” shouted 
Anthony Wallner, exultingly. “It means that we will no 
longer submit to brutal treatment at the hands of your Bava- 
rian bailiffs, and that we will treat you now as you Boafoks * 
have treated us for five years past.” 

“ For God’s sake, how have we treated you, then ? ” asked 
the tax-collector, drawing back from the threatening face of 
Anthony Wallner toward his bailiffs. 

“ Listen to me, Tyrolese,” shouted Anthony Wallner, scorn- 
fully, “ he asks me how the Bavarians have treated us ! Shall 
I tell it to him once more ? ” 

“ Yes, yes, Tony, do so,” replied the Tyrolese on all sides. 
“ Tell it to him, and if he refuses to listen, we will tie him 
hand and foot, and compel him to hear what you say.” 

“Well, Mr. Tax-collector,” said Wallner, with mock polite- 
ness, “ I will tell you, then, how you Bavarians have treated 

* Boafoks , the nickname which the Tyrolese gave to the Bavarians at that 
time. It signifies “ Bavarian pigs.” 


ANTHONY WALLNER OF WINDISCH-MATREY. H5 


us for four years past, and only when you know all our griev- 
ances will we settle our accounts. Listen, then, to what you 
have done to us, and what we complain of. You have be- 
haved toward us as perjured liars and scoundrels, and I will 
prove it to you. In the first place, then, in 1805, when, to our 
intense grief and regret, our emperor was obliged to cede the 
Tyrol to Bavaria, the King of Bavaria, in a letter which he 
wrote to us, solemnly guaranteed our constitution and our 
ancient privileges and liberties. That is what your king prom- 
ised in 1805. To be sure, we did not put much confidence in 
what he said, for we well knew that when the big cat wants 
to devour the little mouse, it treats the victim at first with 
great kindness and throws a small bit of bacon to it ; but 
no sooner does the mouse take it than the cat pounces upon its 
unsuspecting victim and devours it. And such was our fate 
too ; the cat Bavaria wanted to swallow the little mouse Tyrol; 
not even our name was to be left to us, and we were to be 
called Southern Bavarians instead of Tyrolese. Besides, our 
ancient Castle of Tyrol, the sacred symbol of our country, was 
dismantled and destroyed. You thought probably we would 
forget the past and the history of the Tyrol, and all that we 
are, if we no longer saw the Castle of Tyrol, where the dear 
Margaret Maultasch solemnly guaranteed to her Tyrolese their 
liberties, great privileges, and independence, for all time to 
come. But all was written in our hearts, and your infamous 
conduct engraved it only the more lastingly thereon. You 
took from us not only our name, but also our constitution, 
which all Tyrolese love as their most precious treasure. The 
representative estates were suppressed, and the provincial 
funds seized. No less than eight new and oppressive taxes 
were imposed, and levied with the utmost rigor ; the very 
name of the country, as I said before, was abolished ; and, 
after the model of revolutionary France, the Tyrol was divided 
into the departments of the Inn, the Adige, and the Eisach ; 
the passion plays, which formed so large a part of the amuse- 
ments of our people, were prohibited ; all pilgrimages to chap- 
els or places of extraordinary sanctity were forbidden. The 
convents and monasteries were confiscated, and their estates 
sold ; the church plate and holy vessels were melted down and 


116 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


disposed of ; the royal property was all brought into the mar- 
ket. New imposts were daily exacted without any consulta- 
tion with the estates of our people ; specie became scarce from 
the quantity of it which was drawn off to the royal treasury ; 
the Austrian notes were reduced to half their value, and the 
feelings of our people irritated almost to madness by the com- 
pulsory levy of our young men to serve in the ranks of your 
army. In this manner you tried to crush us to earth. But I 
tell you, we shall rise again, the whole Tyrol will rise and no 
longer allow itself to be trampled under foot. You say the 
king does not want any Tyrolese as subjects. He shall not 
have any, for the Tyrolese want to become again subjects of 
their dear Emperor Francis of Austria. Men of the Tyrol, 
from Pusterthal, Teffereck, and Yirgenthal, you wish to be- 
come again subjects of the Emperor Francis, do you not ? ” 
“We do, we do!” shouted the men, uttering deafening 
cheers. “ Our dear Francis is to become again our lord and 
emperor ! Long live the Emperor Francis ! ” 

“ Silence ! ” cried the tax-collector, pale with rage and dis- 
may ; “ silence, or I shall send for the soldiers and have every 
one of you arrested, and — ” 

“Be silent yourself !” said Anthony Wallner, seizing him 
violently by the arm. “ Sir, you are our prisoner, and so are the 
two bailiffs yonder. Seize them, my friends, and if they shout 
or resist, shoot them down. And if you utter a cry or a word, 
Mr. Tax-collector, so help me God if I do not kill you for a 
Boafok, as you are ! Keep quiet, therefore, be a sensible man, 
and deliver your funds to us. Come, men, we will accompany 
this gentleman to the tax-collector’s office ; and now let us 
sing a good Tyrolese song : 

“ D’Schorgen und d’Schreiber und d’Richter allsammt, 

Sind’n Teufel auskomma, druck’n iiberall auf’s Land, 

Und schinden Bauern, es is kam zum sog’n, 

Es war ja koan Wunder, wir thaten’s allsammt erschlog n.” * 

* Song of the Tyrolese in 1809.— See Mayr, “ Joseph Speckbacher,” p. 29. 

“ The pushing— the writers, and magistrates all, 

Possessed by the devil, our country enthrall, 

And grind the poor peasants ; alas, ’tis a shame ! 

Ro wonder if we too share ruin the same.” 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


117 


He concluded with a long and joyous Jodler , and shouted 
triumphantly : “ Dear brethren, Andreas Hofer sends you his 
greetings, and informs you that the Austrians have invaded 
the Tyrol. Hurrah, ’tis time ! ” 

“Yes, ’tis time,” murmured Anna Maria, Anthony Wall- 
ner’s wife, to herself ; “ ’tis time for me to give Lizzie the sig- 
nal, for the insurrection has broken out.” 

She hastened into the house, took her husband’s old rifle 
from the chamber, ran with it out of the hack-door of the 
house, and fired the signal for her daughter. 

“ There,” she said, returning quietly into the house, “ she 
will have heard the report, and there is time yet to save him. 
I will do now what Tony asked me to do. When he sings the 
song, I shall take the paper-balls from the table-drawer in the 
back-room, give a package to each of the two hoys and two 
servant-girls, and tell them to go with it into the mountains 
and circulate the paper-halls everywhere, that the inhabitants 
of the whole Pusterthal, from one end to the other, from the 
Gross-Glockner to the Yenediger and Krimler Tauern, may 
learn this very day that it is time, and that the BoafoJcs are to 
be expelled from the country. Halloo, boys, come here ! Hal- 
loo, girls, your mistress wants to speak to you ! ” 


CHAPTER XI. 

THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 

Eliza Wallner, after leaving her mother, had sped wdth 
the utmost rapidity through the hack-door, across the yard, 
through the garden, out of the small gate leading to the 
j meadow, down the foot-path, up the mountain-road, jumping 
from stone to stone, courageous and intrepid as a true daughter 
of the Tyrol. Now she stood at the portal of the castle, in 
front of which some of the Bavarian soldiers were lying in 
idle repose on a bench, while others in the side-wing of the 
castle allotted to them were looking out of the windows, and 
dreamily humming a Bavarian song, frequently interrupted 
by loud yawns. 


118 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Eliza walked past them with a slight greeting and entered 
the house. The old footman sitting in the hall received her 
kindly, and told her, in reply to her inquiry, that the castellan, 
old Baron von Hohenberg, had set out early in the morning 
for Salzburg to attend court, but that his daughter and her 
cousin, Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, were lunching in the 
small dining-room up-stairs. 

This was all the information Eliza needed ; she nodded to 
the footman, and ascended the staircase quickly. The old 
footman did not follow her ; he knew that it was unnecessary 
for him to announce beautiful Lizzie to his mistress, but that 
she always was welcome to her. He therefore sat down again 
quietly, and took up the wood-work with which he had been 
occupied before. 

Eliza reached the dining-room and threw open the door 
with a hasty hand ; a blissful smile then overspread her 
flushed face, for on the balcony yonder, behind the open glass 
door, she beheld the tall slender form of Captain Ulrich von 
Hohenberg. She heard him chatting and laughing gavly ; 
and through the door she also saw her friend Elza von Ho- 
henberg, who was listening to her cousin’s words in smiling 
repose. Scarcely touching the floor with her feet, she hast- 
ened through the room. 

“ I assure you, cousin,” said Elza at this moment, in her 
clear, distinct voice, “ I believe at times that she is the re- 
suscitated Maid of Orleans, and that she will perform heroic 
deeds one day. Oh, I know my dear beautiful Eliza Wallner, 
and—” 

“ Do not speak of me, for I am listening to you,” exclaimed 
Eliza, entering the balcony. 

“ Ah, my Lizzie,” exclaimed Elza, rising and tenderly em- 
bracing her friend. <k Have you come at length, my merry, 
beautiful lark ? ” 

“ Yes, I have, and I am glad that I am here,” said Eliza ; 
and her large hazel eyes turned for a moment smilingly to the 
young officer, who, like his cousin, had risen on beholding 
Eliza Wallner. He did not utter a word of salutation ; never- 
theless, Eliza blushed on meeting his glance, and averted her 
eyes timidly from him, turning them toward the distant sum- 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


119 

mits of the glaciers which were glittering around the horizon 
yonder in wonderful majesty. 

“ You are glad that you are here, my sweet child ? Why 
did you not come at an earlier hour ? ” asked Elza. “ You are 
always expected. My dear silent cousin, she is always ex- 
pected, is she not ? ” 

“Most assuredly she is,” said the young captain, with a 
smile ; “ and she is as welcome as the first rose of May.” 

“ How impudent you are ! ” exclaimed Miss Elza, laugh- 
ing ; “ you bid my Lizzie welcome as the first rose of May, and 
yet I was here before her ! ” 

“He means only the wild hedge-rose, Elza,” said Eliza, 
smiling archly, “ for you know very well that the beautiful 
and aristocratic roses do not yet bloom in May.” 

“ Well, tell me, cousin, did you really intend to compare my 
darling here with a wild hedge-rose ? ” asked Elza. 

“ Do not answer, sir,” exclaimed Eliza, eagerly. “ You have 
blundered in trying to flatter me, and that is good. You will 
see at length that fine phrases amount to nothing, and that 
they are colors that fade in the sunshine. You had better 
speak frankly and honestly to me, for I have often told you 
I am a stupid daughter of the Tyrol, and do not know what to 
reply to such fine city phrases.” 

“ But for all that you are not stupid, my beautiful Eliza,” 
said Ulrich von Hohenberg. “ In truth, I who compare you 
with a rose am not a liar, but he would be who should charge 
you with stupidity.” 

“But if I should, nevertheless, assert that I am stupid, 
whom would it concern ? ” asked Eliza, defiantly. 

“ Ah, there they are quarrelling again,” exclaimed Elza, 
laughing. “ Come to me, sweet Lizzie ; sit down by my side 
on this bench and give me your hand. I am so glad that you 
are here, for it always seems to me as though I were a lonely 
orphan when my dearest Lizzie, with her pretty face and her 
merry laughter, is absent from me. But here, Lizzie, you 
must look upon me with due awe to-day, for to-day I am not 
only your friend and sister, but I am — the castellan ! My 
father will be absent four days, and I represent him here. He 
delegated his whole power to me, and intrusted me with 


120 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


all the keys. Treat me, therefore, with great respect, Liz- 
zie.” 

“That is what I always do, Elza,” said Lizzie, tenderly, 
pressing the slender white hand of her friend to her lips. 
“ You are always my better self, and I obey you because I love 
you, and I love you because I obey you so gladly ! ” 

“ Well, then, I command you, Lizzie, to be our guest all 
day and stay with us until nightfall. Oh, no objections, Liz- 
zie ; if you love me, you must obey ! ” 

“ And I obey you willingly, Elza ; only when my father 
sends for me, I must go, for you know we must not violate 
the fourth commandment ; our worthy priest would never 
forgive us.” 

“ When your father sends for you, Eliza, I shall myself go 
down to him and beg him to leave you here. Well, then, you 
belong to us for the whole day, and we will consider now how 
we shall spend this day. Cousin, do not stand there in silence 
all the time, staring at the glaciers, but look at us and propose 
quickly some excursion for us to make to-day.” 

“ What could I propose ? ” asked the young officer, shrug- 
ging his shoulders. 

“ I submit rather silently and obediently to your proposals, 
for Miss Eliza would certainly reject all my proposals merely 
because I make them.” 

Eliza burst into merry laughter. “ Elza, dearest Elza,” she 
exclaimed, “ he calls me ‘ Miss Eliza ! ’ No, sir, let me tell you, 
a poor Tyrolese girl like me is no ‘ miss,’ no aristocratic lady ; 
people call me Lizzie, only Lizzie ; do not forget that ! ” 

“ People here call her ‘ beautiful Lizzie,' ” said the officer, 
in a low voice, casting an admiring glance on the young girl. 

“ That does not concern you, sir,” she j|0plied, blushing like 
a crimson rose ; “ you do not belong to the people here, and 
you must not call me anything but Lizzie, do you hear ? I 
think the notions which city folks entertain about beauty are 
different from those of peasants like us. We consider the 
daisy and the Alpine rose beautiful ; though they are but 
small flowers, yet they suit us. However, the city folks laugh 
at our taste, and step recklessly on our flowers. They con- 
sider only the proud white lilies and the large gorgeous roses 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


121 


beautiful flowers. I do not belong to them, I am only a 
daisy ; but my Elza likes this daisy and fastens me to her 
bosom, and I rest there so soft and sweetly.” 

She encircled Elza’s neck with her arms, leaned her head 
against her breast, and looked tenderly up to her with her 
hazel gazelle eyes. 

Elza bent over her and kissed her eyes and white forehead. 
Ulrich von Hohenberg looked at them both with a tender, 
ardent glance ; then he averted his head to conceal the crim- 
son glow suffusing his cheeks. 

At this moment the door opened, and the castellan’s over- 
seer entered with an air of hurry and self-importance. 

“ Miss Elza,” he said, “ the wood-cutters have brought wood 
and are waiting for a receipt. Besides, the head dairy -woman 
wishes to see you about the butter which she is to send to 
town ; and the cattle-dealer has arrived, and — ” 

“ I am coming, I am coming,” exclaimed the young lady, 
laughing. “ Do you see, Lizzie, what an important person I 
am ? But for me the whole machine would stand still and 
sink in ruins. Fortunately, I am equal to the occasion ; and 
set the wheels in motion, and the machine can go on. You 
may stay here and consider how we are to amuse ourselves to- 
day. In the mean time I shall regulate our domestic affairs a 
little, and when I come back, you will inform me what pleas- 
ure you have devised for us to-day.” 

“ No, Elza, let me go with you,” begged Eliza, almost anx- 
iously, “ I shall assist you — ” 

“ You cannot help me outside, Lizzie,” said Elza, laughing ; 
“ but here you can take my place and be my cousin Ulrich’s 
companion. Be merry, my dear children, until I come 
back ! ” 

She nodded pleasantly to them, took the large bunch of 
keys from the table, and swinging it noisily in her hand, 
skipped through the room and out of the door. 

Lizzie had followed her a few steps ; then, as if arrested by 
a sudden thought, she paused and returned slowly to the bal- 
cony. She cast a quick glance on the officer, who was leaning 
against the wall on one side of the balcony, and, with his 
arms folded on his breast, did not avert his eyes from her. 


122 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Eliza gave a start and withdrew to the other side of the 
balcony. There she sat down on the bench like a timid little 
bird, and allowed her eyes to wander dreamily and thought- 
fully over the landscape. And, indeed, the view which they 
enjoyed from the balcony was wondrously beautiful. On one 
side extended the splendid valley, with its meadows clad in 
the freshest verdure of spring, its foaming white mountain- 
torrents, its houses and huts, which disappeared gradually in 
the violet mists bordering the horizon. On both sides of the 
valley rose the green wooded heights, interspersed here and 
there with small verdant pastures and clearings, on which 
handsome red cows were grazing or lying in majestic repose. 
Behind the clearings black pines and firs dotted the slopes, 
which, however, in their more elevated portions became more 
and more bare ; where the trees ceased, appeared here and 
there again green pastures, and on them, gray and small, like 
birds’ nests, the huts of the mountain cow-keepers, who, the 
most advanced sentinels, as it were, were guarding the fron- 
tiers where the war between nature and man commences, the 
frontiers of the snowy region and the world of glaciers. Be- 
hind the cow-keepers’ huts flashed already masses of snow 
from several mountain-gorges ; farther above, the snow had 
spread its white silver veils far and wide over all the moun- 
tain-peaks, so that they glittered and sparkled with indescrib- 
able beauty in the bright morning sun, and loomed like 
swans’ necks up to the azure sky. 

Below, in the foreground of the valley, at the foot of Castle 
Weissenstein, lay the village of Windisch-Matrey, with its 
scattering groups of handsome houses, from whose midst 
arose the church, with its tall, pointed steeple. From the 
standpoint which she occupied, Eliza was able to distinctly 
survey the market-place and its crowds of men, Avhich, in the 
distance, resembled busy black ant-hills. She gazed upon 
them fixedly, and the small specks seemed to her practised eye 
like human forms : she thought she could distinguish several 
of them, and, among others, the tall and powerful form of her 
father ; she thought — 

“ Eliza,” said all at once a low voice by her side — “ Eliza, you 
do not want to see me, then ? You are still angry with me ? ” 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


123 


She gave a start, and crimsoned, when, on looking up, she 
saw young Ulrich von Hohenberg standing close in front of 
her, and gazing at her with ardent and beseeching eyes. 

“ No, sir,” she said, “I really did not see you.” 

“ That is to say, Eliza, you are still angry with me ? ” he 
asked, eagerly. “You are silent, you avert your head. My 
God ! Eliza, what did I do, then, to incur your anger ? ” 

“ Not much, perhaps, for city folks, but by far too much 
for a poor peasant-girl,” she said, with eyes flashing proudly. 
“You told me you loved me, you tried forcibly to embrace 
and kiss me, and begged me to go up early in the morning to 
the yellow grotto, where you would wait for me. You told 
me further not to say a word about it to anybody ; it should 
remain a secret between you and me, and I should not even 
mention it to the priest at the confessional. That was not 
honest of you, sir ; nay, it was bad of you to try and persuade 
me to such mean things. It showed me that you cannot be a 
good man, and that your friendship for me is prompted by evil 
intentions.” 

“ I do not feel any friendship for you, none whatever,” said 
the young man ardently, seating himself by her side, seizing 
her hand in spite of her resistance, and pressing it to his heart. 
“ I do not want to be your friend, my sweet, beautiful, wild 
Alpine rose ; no, not your friend, but your lover. And I com- 
mence by loving you with intense ardor, by desiring and long- 
ing for nothing, and thinking of nothing but you alone. Oh, 
Eliza, believe me, I love you intensely — by far more than 
Elza, more than your parents, more than all your friends to- 
gether.” 

“ More, perhaps, but not better,” she said, shaking her head, 
and gently withdrawing her hand from him. 

“No, let me keep your hand !” he exclaimed hastily, seiz- 
ing it again ; “ let me keep it, Eliza, for I tell you I love you 
better too than all the others ; I love you with my soul, with 
my heart, with my blood, with my life ! Oh, believe me, 
sweet, lovely child ; believe me and give me your heart ; fol- 
low me, and be mine— mine forevermore ! I will give you a 
happy, brilliant, and beautiful existence ; I will lay at your 
feet all the pleasures, enjoyments, and charms of this world—” 
9 


124 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Sir,” interrupted Eliza, hastily, jumping up, and fixing 
her eyes upon him with a strange, ardent expression, “ I hope 
I understand you right, and my ears do not deceive me ? You 
offer me your hand ? You want to marry me and make me 
your wife ? ” 

The young man gave a slight start and dropped his eyes. 
Eliza saw it, and a sarcastic smile played round her lips. 
“ Why do you not speak ? ” she said. “ Reply to me. Did I 
understand you ? Did you make serious proposals of marriage 
to me ? Will you go down to my father this very day and 
say to him : “ Listen, sir. I, the aristocratic gentleman, I, Cap- 
tain Ulrich von Hohenberg, want to marry your daughter 
Lizzie. I think this country girl, with her manners, her lan- 
guage. and bearing, is well fitted to associate with my aris- 
tocratic and distinguished family, and my parents in Munich 
would be overjoyed if I should bring to them this Tyrolese 
girl as their daughter-in-law, and a brown cow and a white 
goat as her dower.’ Tell me, sir, will you go down to my dear 
father, the innkeeper of Windisch-Matrey, and say that to 
him ?” 

“ But, Eliza,” sighed the young man, mournfully, “ if you 
loved me only a little, you would not immediately think of 
marriage, but would forget every thing else, allow your whole 
past to sink into oblivion behind you, and think of nothing 
but the fact that I love you intensely, and that you return my 
love.” 

“ But I do not admit at all that I love you,” said Eliza, 
proudly ; “ on the contrary, you alone say and swear that you 
love me, and I reply that I do not believe you.” 

“ And why do you not believe me, cruel, beautiful girl ? ” 

“ Because you utter so many fine phrases which amount 
to nothing at all. You tell me that you are very fond of me, 
but I think if you love any body with all your heart, you 
must be anxious to preserve him from misfortune, and do all 
you can to make him happy, even though it were at the ex- 
pense of your own happiness. But you, sir, do not intend to 
make me happy ; on the contrary, you are bent on plunging 
me into misery and disgrace, and that is the reason why I 
contend that you do not love me.” 


% 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


125 


“ Then you have a heart of stone,” cried Ulrich von Ho- 
henberg, despairingly ; “ you will not see what I am suffer- 
ing, nor how intensely I love you.” 

“ Sir,” said she, smiling, “ if I cannot comprehend it, pray 
explain to me how you love me.” 

“ I love you as the most beautiful, lovely, and charming 
creature I have ever known and admired. I love you as a 
girl whose innocence, naturalness, and goodness, fill my heart 
with ecstasy and profound emotion ; by whose side I should 
like to spend my whole life, and united with whom I should 
wish to seek for a lonely island of happiness to dream there — 
remote from the world, its prejudices and follies— a sweet, 
blissful love-life, from which only death would arouse us.” 

“ Sir, if you really love me in this manner, you need not run 
away with me to seek elsewhere in foreign lands the ‘ lonely 
island of happiness,’ as you call it, for in that case you would 
have it round you wherever we might be, and, above all 
things, here in our mountains. But, look, it is just as I said ; 
you are desirous to find a ‘ lonely island of happiness ’ — that 
is to say, nobody is to find out that the aristocratic gentleman 
loves the poor Tyrolese girl, and that is the reason why you 
want us to hide in the mountains or elsewhere, and see if we 
can be happy without the blessing of the priest, our dear 
parents, and all other good men.” 

“ Oh, Eliza, have mercy on me. I swear to you that I love 
you intensely ; that I would be the happiest of men if I could 
marry you publicly and make you my wife in the face of the 
whole world, that — ” 

Eliza interrupted him by singing with a smiling air, and 
in a merry, ringing voice : 

“ Und a Bisserle Lieb’ und a Bisserle Treu’ 

Und a Bisserle Falschheit ist all’zeit dabei ! ” * 

“ No, no falsehood,” cried Ulrich, “ only the irksome, ter- 
rible necessity, the — ” 

The loud crash of a rifle, finding an oft-repeated echo in 

* “ And a bit of love, and a bit of truth, 

And a bit of falsehood, make life, forsooth ! ” 


126 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


/ 

the mountains, interrupted him. Eliza uttered a cry of dis- 
may and jumped up. 

“ Jesus Maria ! ” she murmured in a low voice, “ it is the 
signal. It has commenced ! ” 

“ What ! What has commenced ? ” asked the young man, 
in surprise. 

Eliza looked at him with confused and anxious eyes. 
“ Nothing, oh, nothing at all,” she said, in a tremulous voice. 
“ Only — I mean ” — she paused and looked with fixed attention 
down on the large place. She distinctly saw the groups mov- 
ing rapidly to and fro, and then pouring with furious haste 
through the streets. 

“ They are coming up here,” she murmured ; and her eyes 
turned toward the wing of the castle on the side of the bal- 
cony, where the Bavarian soldiers had their quarters. The 
latter, however, apparently did not suspect the imminent 
danger. They were sitting at the windows and smoking or 
cleaning their muskets and uniforms. Eliza could hear them 
chatting and laughing in perfect tranquillity. 

“ Well, Eliza, beautiful, cruel girl,” asked Ulrich von Ho- 
henberg, “ will you tell me what has suddenly excited you so 
strangely ? ” 

“ Nothing, sir, oh, nothing,” she said ; but then she leaned 
far over the railing of the balcony and stared dowrn ; she be- 
held four young Tyrolese sharpshooters running up the castle- 
hill at a furious rate, and the host of their comrades following 
them. The four who led the way now entered the court-yard, 
and reached with wild bounds the large door forming the en- 
trance of the wing of the building occupied by the soldiers. 
With thundering noise they shut it, turned the large key 
which was in the lock, and drew it immediately out. 

Two sharpshooters now ran up from the opposite side. 

“We have locked the back-gate,” they shouted exultingly. 

“That door is locked too,” replied the others, jubilantly. 
“ They are all prisoners in the castle ! ” 

“Sir,” cried Eliza, drawing Ulrich von Hohenberg back 
from the balcony, “you may come with me into the dining- 
room ; I must tell you something.” 

“ No,” he said, “ I shall stay here and see what is the mat- 


THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 


127 


ter. What does this mean ? More than fifty Tyrolese are 
entering the court-yard ; and why did those mad young fel- 
lows lock the door upon my soldiers ? ” 

tk I suppose it is some mad freak of theirs, that is all, “ said 
Eliza, trembling. “ Come, dear sir, leave the balcony and 
follow me into the room. I wish to tell you something — 
quite secretly, sir, — oh, come ! I do not want heaven and 
God and the snow-clad mountains yonder to hear a word of 
it.” 

“ Eliza,” he exclaimed, transported, “ how you smile, how 
you blush ! Oh, my God, what do you wish to say to me ? ” 
She encircled his arm with her hands and drew him into 
the room. “ Listen,” she said, looking at him with imploring 
eyes, “ if it is true that you love me give me, a proof of it and 
swear that you will do what I shall request of you ! ” 

4{ I love you, Eliza, and will prove it to you. I swear, 
therefore, to do what you shall request of me.” 

“Thank you, thank you,” she exclaimed, joyfully. “Now 
come with me ; I will conduct you under the roof ; I know of 
a hiding-place there where no one will find you, and you will 
swear to me to stay there until I come to you with a suit of 
clothes which you will put on. Thereupon I shall conduct 
you in the dead of night into the mountains, and thus you 
will escape.” 

“ Escape ? Never ! And why, then ? ” 

“ Sir, because the peasants will assassinate you if you re- 
main.” 

The young officer burst into loud laughter. “ They will 
assassinate me ? Ah, I have my soldiers and my own arms, 
and am not afraid of the peasants. My soldiers would soon 
put down the insurgents if they should really rebel to-mor- 
row.” 

“ Sir, they will not wait until to-morrow ; they have al- 
ready risen ; the insurrection has commenced this very hour. 
Oh, thank God, you did not find out what was going on ; 
you felt so secure in your pride and despised the Tyrolese so 
much that you did not fear them.* But I tell you now, the 

* The Tyrolese kept the secret of their intended insurrection so well, and 
the Bavarians were so overbearing and careless, that they did not know any 


128 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


insurrection has broken out ; the whole Tyrol is rising ; all 
our people are in commotion from Innspruck down to Salz- 
burg. You can no longer prevent or stifle it. You must 
submit. Save yourself, then, sir ; you have sworn to grant 
my request, and you must keep your word.” 

“No, I cannot and will not ! I must do my duty. Let me 
go, Eliza ! I must go ! I must go to my soldiers ! ” 

“ You can no longer reach them, for they have locked them 
up. Come, you must save yourself ! ” 

She seized his arm with superhuman strength, and tried to 
draw him away, but he disengaged himself and rushed toward 
the door. But Eliza was quicker than he ; she bounded for- 
ward like an angry lioness, and just as Ulrich was about to 
seize the knob, she stood before the door and pushed him 
back. 

“T shall not permit you to leave the room,” she cried. 
“ You must kill me first; then you may go.” 

“ Eliza, I cannot stay. I implore you, let me go out. My 
honor, my good name, are at stake. You say the peasants 
have risen in insurrection, my soldiers are locked up, and you 
think I could be cowardly and miserable enough to conceal 
myself and surrender my name to well-deserved disgrace ? 
Let me go out, Eliza ; have mercy upon me ! Do not compel 
me to remove you forcibly from the door ! ” 

“Ah,” cried Eliza, with scornful laughter, “you think I 
will step hack from the door and let you go to kill my father 
and my brothers ? Listen, sir ; you said you loved me. Give 
me a proof of it. Let me go out first, let me speak with my 
father — only three words ! Perhaps I may persuade him to 
release your soldiers and go home with his friends.” 

“ Very well, I will prove to you that I love you. Go down, 
Eliza, ‘speak with your father. I give you ten minutes’ time; 
that is to say, I sacrifice to you ten minutes of my honor.” 

Eliza uttered a cry of joy ; she encircled Ulrich’s neck im- 
petuously with her arms and imprinted a glowing kiss on his 
forehead. 

thing about the plans of the insurgents until the day of the rising, and on 
that day they tried to levy contributions by force of arms. — See “ Gallery of 
Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 50. 


FAREWELL ! 


129 

“ Farewell, sir,” she whispered, “ farewell, and God bless 
you ! ” 

Then she pushed him back, hastened to the door, threw it 
open, and sprang out. She closed the door carefully behind 
her, locked it with a firm and quick hand, drew the key from 
the lock, and concealed it in her bosom. 

“Holy Virgin, I thank Thee!” she exclaimed, joyfully. 
“He is saved, for the room has no other outlet, and the bal- 
cony is too high for him to jump down.” 


CHAPTER XII. 

FAREWELL ! 

She sped as gracefully and quickly as a gazelle down the 
corridor. In the large hall into which it led stood Elza, sur- 
rounded by more than twenty Tyrolese sharpshooters, with 
whom she was talking in a loud, animated voice. Her cheeks 
were very pale, her lips were quivering, but her eyes flashed 
courageously, and, notwithstanding the paleness of her face, 
it did not betray the least anxiety or terror. 

“ Have you considered well what you are going to do, men 
of the Puster valley ?” she asked, in a clear, full voice. “ Do 
you know that you are about to rebel against your govern- 
ment and your king, and that the rebels will be judged and 
punished with the full rigor of the law ?” 

“ But the Bavarians will not judge us, for we shall drive 
them from the country,” shouted the Tyrolese. “ We do not 
want a king nor a Bavarian government ; we want to get back 
our Emperor Francis and our old constitution.” 

“ But you will not succeed,” said Elza ; “ you are too 
weak against them. There are too many of them and 
too few of you ; they have cannon, and you have nothing but 
your rifles, and there are many of you who have not even a 
rifle.” 

“ But we have our God and our emperor, and those two 
will help us. The Austrians, as Andreas Hofer has written to 


130 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


us, are already in the country, and all the people are rising to 
drive the French and Bavarians from the country.” 

“ It is so, Elza,” said Eliza, encircling her friend’s neck with 
her arm. “ I know you — I know that you are a loyal daughter 
of the Tyrol, and you will he glad to see our dear country de- 
livered from the foreign yoke and restored to the good Em- 
peror Francis.” 

“ But, Lizzie, think of my poor cousin Ulrich,” whispered 
Elza to her. “ He will defend himself to the last drop of his 
blood.” 

“ He is unable to do so,” whispered Lizzie, with a cheerful 
smile. “ I have locked him up in the dining-room, and the 
key is here in my bosom. Ulrich cannot get out, therefore, 
and though he is furious and grim, he must remain in the 
room like a mouse in a trap.” 

“ That reassures me,” said Elza, smiling, “ and I understand 
now, too, why my father acted in the manner he did. He 
doubtless suspected what would occur here, and got rid of 
all responsibility, leaving me entirely free to choose between 
my Bavarian relative and my Tyrolese countrymen. Here 
is my hand, Anthony Wallner ; I am a loyal daughter of 
the Tyrol, and shout with you, ‘ Long live our Emperor Fran- 
cis !’” 

“ Hurrah, long live our Emperor Francis ! ” shouted the 
Tyrolese. “ Long live Miss Elza, the loyal daughter of the 
Tyrol ! ” 

“ Thank you,” said Elza, smiling. “ I think I shall prove 
my loyalty when dangers and war beset us. I shall establish 
here in the castle a hospital for our wounded, and the women 
of Windisch-Matrey will assist me, scrape lint, and help me 
to nurse the wounded. For without wounds and bloodshed 
we shall not recover our independence, and the Bavarians will 
not suffer themselves to be driven from the country without 
offering the most obstinate resistance. Have you considered 
that well, my friends ? ” 

“We have ; we are prepared for every thing,” said An- 
thony, joyously. “We will suffer death rather than give up 
our emperor and our dear Tyrol. We do not want to become 
Southern Bavarians, but we will remain Tyrolese, and defend 


FAREWELL ! 


131 


our constitution and our liberty to the last drop of our blood. 
Will we not, my friends ?” 

“ Yes, we will,” shouted the Tyrolese. 

“And as for the Bavarians, we are not afraid of them,” 
said Wallner, firmly. “All the functionaries have already 
humbly submitted to the freemen of the Tyrol. They have 
surrendered with their wives and children, delivered their 
funds at our demand, and are now guarded in their official 
dwellings by our men. And as for the Bavarian soldiers at 
the castle here, we need not be afraid of them either, for we 
have locked them up, like badgers in their holes, and they 
cannot get out of the door.” 

“ But if they cannot get out of the door, they will jump out 
of the windows,” said Elza, “ and offer the most determined 
resistance.” 

“We shall see if they can,” exclaimed Wallner, energet- 
ically. “ We must get through with them right away. Come, 
men, we must see to the Boafoks .” 

And Anthony Wallner, followed by his sharpshooters, 
hastened out into the court-yard. Large numbers of armed 
men had assembled there in the mean time ; even married 
women and young girls, carried away by the universal enthu- 
siasm, had armed themselves and came to take an active part 
in the struggle for the fatherland and the emperor. All 
shouted and cheered in wild confusion, all swore to remain 
true to the fatherland and the emperor to their last breath. 
The soldiers looked on wonderingly, and watched in breath- 
less irresolution for their captain from the windows. 

At this moment, Anthony Wallner and a number of cour- 
ageous sharpshooters took position in front of the windows. 

“ Soldiers,” he shouted, in a thundering voice, “ surrender ! 
you are our prisoners ! Surrender, throw your muskets and 
fire-arms out of the windows, and we will open the door of 
your prison and allow you to return to Bavaria.” 

The soldiers made no reply, but leaned far out of the win- 
dows and shouted : “ Captain ! Where is our captain ? ” 

“ Here I am ! ” shouted a powerful voice above the heads of 
the Tyrolese ; and, looking up in great surprise, they beheld 
on the balcony young Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, with a 


132 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


pale face, his features distorted with rage and grief, and 
stretching out his right arm, with his flashing sword menac- 
ingly toward the Tyrolese. 

“ Great God ! ” murmured Eliza, clinging anxiously to El- 
za’s arm, “if he resists, he is lost.” 

“Here I am, my brave soldiers !” shouted Ulrich von Ho- 
henberg a second time. “ Come to me, my brave lads ! I 
have been locked up here ; hence, I cannot come to you. 
Come up to me, then. Knock the doors in, and deliver your 
captain.” 

“First, let them deliver themselves, sir,” shouted Wallner 
up to him. He then turned once more to the soldiers. “ Lis- 
ten to what I am going to say to you in the name of my coun- 
trymen, in the name of the whole Tyrol,” he shouted. “ For 
four long years you have oppressed and maltreated us : you 
have insulted, humiliated, and mortified us every day. But 
we are Christians, and will not revenge ourselves ; we want 
only our rights, our liberty, and our emperor. Therefore, if 
you submit willingly and with good grace to what cannot be 
helped, we will let you depart without punishing or injuring 
you in any way, and allow you to return to your accursed 
Bavaria. But first you will have to do two things, to wit : 
throw all your muskets out of the windows, and swear a sol- 
emn oath that you will no longer bear arms against the Tyr- 
olese.” 

“ You will never swear that oath, soldiers,” shouted Ulrich 
von Hohenberg from his balcony. “You will keep the oath 
which you swore to your king and commander-in-chief. You 
will not incur the disgrace of surrendering to a crowd of rebel- 
lious peasants ! ” 

“ No, no, we will not,” shouted the soldiers to him ; and 
thereupon they disappeared from the upper floor, and soon re- 
appeared in dense groups at the windows of the lower story. 
These windows were only five feet above the ground, and they 
were therefore able to jump out of them. 

“ Shoot down the first soldier who jumps out of the win- 
dow ! ” cried Anthony Wallner to his sharpshooters. 

The soldiers took no notice of his threats ; a soldier ap- 
peared in each of the windows ready to risk the leap. One of 


FAREWELL ! 


133 


them, more agile and intrepid than the others, was the first to 
jump down. Scarcely had his feet touched the ground, when 
a rifle crashed and a cloud of white smoke enveloped every 
thing for a moment. When it disappeared, the Bavarian sol- 
dier was seen to writhe on the ground in the agony of death, 
while one of the Tyrolese sharpshooters was quietly reloading 
his rifle. 

But now crashed another shot, and the Tyrolese rifleman, 
pierced through the heart, reeled back into the arms of his 
friends with the last groan of death. 

“ Soldiers,” cried Ulrich von Hohenberg, raising his dis- 
charged gun triumphantly, “ I have avenged the death of 
your comrade. Now forward, jump down ! Forward for 
your honor and your king ! ” 

“ Yes, forward for our honor and our king ! ” shouted the 
soldiers, and one of them jumped out of each of the windows. 

Another shot was fired from the balcony, and wounded 
one of the Tyrolese sharpshooters. 

Wild cries of rage filled the court-yard, all eyes turned 
menacingly to the balcony. But Ulrich von Hohenberg had 
stepped back into the room, and nobody saw that he was re- 
loading his fowling-piece, which, with his hunting-pouch and 
powder-horn, had hung in the dining-room. 

“ I shall defend myself until my soldiers come to deliver 
me,” he said courageously to himself. Thereupon he moved 
the large table from the room to the balcony, placed it on its 
side, and leaned it against the railing ; on the other side of 
the balcony he placed the bench in the same manner, and, 
protected behind this three-cornered barricade from the bullets 
of the Tyrolese, he pushed his gun into the aperture between 
the bench and the table, and fired again. 

Furious cries again filled the court-yard, for the captain’s 
shot had disabled another Tyrolese. The women wailed and 
lamented loudly, the men uttered fierce imprecations, and 
lifted their clinched fists menacingly toward the balcony. 
The soldiers had withdrawn from the windows, and were de- 
liberating with their officers as to the course which they were 
to adopt. A defence was almost impossible, for, although they 
had their side-arms and carbines, they could not do any thing 


134 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


with the former before reaching the ground and engaging in 
a hand-to-hand fight with the peasants ; and the carbines were 
utterly useless, as no ammunition had been distributed among 
them, the cartridges being in the captain’s room in the main 
part of the castle. 

“ Ten of you will enter the castle,” commanded Anthony 
Wallner now. “ You will take the captain prisoner, and if he 
refuses to surrender, shoot him down as he has shot three of 
our brethren.” 

Ten of the most courageous sharpshooters stepped from the 
ranks and rushed into the castle. 

u He is lost!” murmured Eliza Wallner, with pale lips, 
and she sank on her knees by the side of her friend Elza. 

Now were heard resounding in the castle the thundering 
blows which the Tyrolese struck with the butt-ends of their 
rifles against the door of the room where Ulrich von Hohen- 
berg was locked up. 

“ The door is old and worm-eaten, it will give way,” sighed 1 
Elza, and she hastened resolutely toward Anthony Wallner, 
who was just calling again on the soldiers with cool intrepid- 
ity to surrender to him. 

“ Anthony Wallner,” she said, in a soft, suppliant voice, 
“ you will not stain your great and sacred cause by cowardly 
murder. You will never think of killing in my father’s own 
house his relative and guest ? ” 

“ Let him surrender ; no harm will befall him then,” cried 
Anthony Wallner, in a harsh, stern voice. “ He has shed the 
blood of our men, and if he is killed, it will be done in a fair 
fight. Leave us now, miss ; the struggle between the Tyrolese 
and the Boafoks has commenced ; look at the corpses yonder, 
and say for yourself whether we can retrace our steps, and — ” 

A loud, thundering crash, followed by triumphant cheers, 
resounded in the castle. 

They have opened the door,” murmured Eliza, still on her 
knees. “ Holy Virgin, protect him, or he is lost ! ” 

A shot crashed in the dining-room, a cloud of white smoke 
issued from the open balcony doors, and a loud cry, accom- 
panied by wild imprecations, was heard. 

“ He has shot another Tyrolese, you will see that he has ! ” 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


135 

shouted Wallner, raising his clinched fists menacingly toward 
the balcony. 

The cries drew nearer and nearer, and now Captain Ulrich 
von Hohenberg, his features pale and distorted with rage, 
rushed out on the balcony. 

“Surrender ! ” shouted the Tyrolese, pursuing him. 

“ Never ! ” he cried. “ I wfiH die sooner than surrender to 
a rabble of peasants like you.” 

And forgetful of the dangers besetting him, and in the de- 
spair of his rage and grief, the captain jumped from the bal- 
cony into the midst of the crowd in the court-yard. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE BRIDEGROOM. 

Wild shouts were heard now, and a great commotion arose 
among the Tyrolese. The bold deed of the Bavarian had sur- 
prised and confused them ; they had forgot the soldiers for a 
moment, and riveted their whole attention on the captain. 

He was uninjured, for, in jumping down, he had fallen on 
the backs of two Tyrolese, dragged them down with him, and 
thus broken the violence of the fall. 

Before the two men, stunned by their sudden fall, had re- 
covered from their surprise, Ulrich was again on his feet, and, 
drawing his sword, cleared himself a passage through the 
quickly-receding crowd. 

“ Come to me, my soldiers, come to me ! ” he shouted, in a 
panting voice. 

“ Here we are, captain,” cried twenty soldiers, driving the 
crowd back with powerful strokes. They had profited by the 
favorable moment when the windows had not been watched, 
and had jumped to the ground. 

Now followed a hand-to-hand struggle of indescribable fury. 
Nothing was heard but the wild imprecations and shouts of 
the fighting, the shrieks and groans of the wounded and the 
screams of the women and children. 


136 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


But amidst the struggle and the general confusion An- 
thony Wallner did not lose his presence of mind. He had 
posted twenty sharpshooters in front of the windows, behind 
which the soldiers were standing, and, with rifles raised, they 
threatened death to all who should dare to approach the win- 
dows. Hence, the soldiers had retired into the back part of 
the rooms, and were deliberating on the course which they 
were to pursue. But their faces were anxious and irresolute, 
and they whispered to each other : “ If our captain should fall, 
nothing remains for us but to surrender.” 

But their captain had not yet fallen ; he still lived and 
defended himself courageously, surrounded by his soldiers, 
against the Tyrolese, who attacked him furiously and parried 
the sabre-strokes with the butt-ends of their rifles, but had 
no room, and did not dare to shoot at him, for fear of hitting 
in the wild melee one of their own men instead of their enemy. 

But the odds were too great ; six of the soldiers had al- 
ready been knocked down by the butt-ends of the Tyrolese, 
rifles. The Tyrolese had wrested the sabres from the hands of 
the fallen soldiers, and had rushed with them upon their com- 
rades. Then followed a furious hand-to-hand struggle. The 
fumes of the blood flowing on the ground, the shouts of the 
combatants, the hatred and fury with which the enemies 
stood face to face, had filled their hearts with boundless fe- 
rocity. Nobody gave, nobody asked quarter. Under the butt- 
end blows of the Tyrolese, the Bavarians sank to the ground 
with a glance of hatred ; pierced by the swords of the Bava- 
rians, the Tyrolese fell, with an imprecation on their lips. 

Ulrich von Hohenberg was still holding his ground ; his 
sword had spread destruction and death around him ; he 
was still encouraging his soldiers with loud shouts, but his 
voice was beginning to grow faint, and his blood was running 
from a terrible wound in his shoulder. 

“ To the rescue, soldiers ! ” he shouted now with a last 
effort ; “ do not suffer your captain to be slain by miserable 
peasants. To the rescue ! help me or shoot me, that I may 
die an honorable death, and not be assassinated by the trai- 
tors.” 

“I will comply with your wishes,” cried Anthony Wall- 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


137 


ner, rushing into the midst of the bloody melee close up to 
the captain ; “ yes, you shall die ; I will put an end to your 
life!” 

And his arm, brandishing the sword of a fallen Bavarian, 
rose threateningly above Ulrich’s head, while two other Tyr- 
olese rushed upon him from behind with furious shouts. 

At this moment two hands clutched Wallner’s arm con- 
vulsively, and a loud, anxious voice exclaimed : 

“ Father, do not kill him ! He is my bridegroom ! ” 

“ Her bridegroom ! ” echoed the Tyrolese, starting back in 
surprise. 

“Your bridegroom?” asked Anthony Wallner, casting a 
look of dismay on his daughter Eliza, who was standing in 
front of her father, pale, with flashing eyes, encircling Ul- 
rich’s neck with one arm, lifting up The other menacingly, 
and staring at her father with a resolute and defiant expres- 
sion. 

“ Away from him, Lizzie ! ” cried Wallner, furiously ; “ I 
cannot believe that my child will inflict on me the disgrace 
of loving a Bavarian.” 

“ Yes, I love him,” exclaimed Eliza, with glowing cheeks. 
“ If you wish to kill him, you must kill me first, for we have 
sworn to live and die together. He is my bridegroom, father, 
and shall become my husband, so help me God ! ” 

“ No, never ! ” cried Ulrich von Hohenberg, trying to dis- 
engage himself from Eliza. “ Never can the peasant-girl be- 
come my wife ! Begone, Eliza, I have nothing further to do 
with you.” 

“And still you swore a few minutes ago that you loved 
nothing on earth more dearly than me alone,” said Eliza, in 
a loud voice, “ and you implored me to go with you and re- 
main always by your side ? ” 

“ But never did I say that I would marry you,” exclaimed 
Ulrich, pale with rage, and still trying to disengage himself 
from Eliza’s arm. 

“ You would not marry her ! ” cried Anthony Wallner ; 
“ you intended only to dishonor her, my proud Bavarian gen- 
tleman ? You thought a Tyrolese peasant-girl’s honor an ex- 
cellent pastime, but you would not marry her ?” 


138 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Father, father,” cried Eliza, beseechingly, clinging firmly 
to Ulrich’s side, “ father, I love him and cannot live without 
him. He is my bridegroom ! ” 

“ No, no ! ” shouted Ulrich, and a wild imprecation against 
Eliza burst from his lips. 

The Tyrolese in the mean time had long since overpowered 
the few soldiers, and, attracted by the strange scene, crowded 
around the curious group ; only the twenty sharpshooters 
were still standing with rifles raised in front of the windows 
of the imprisoned soldiers, and watching them with threaten- 
ing eyes. 

Anthony Wallner had dropped his arm and looked down 
musingly ; on hearing the captain’s insulting words, he gave 
a shout and lifted up his face flushed with pride and indig- 
nation. 

“ Just listen to the traitor, brethren ! ” he said in the cold, 
quiet tone which only the most profound exasperation im- 
parts to the human voice. “ First he turned the girl’s head 
and heart by the protestations of his love, causing her even to 
forget her father and her Tyrol ; and now he insults her and 
refuses to marry her ! ” 

“ He said it only in his rage, father, hut he loves me after 
all,” exclaimed Eliza, clinging to the captain notwithstanding 
his resistance, and trying to wrest his sword from him. 

“ Begone, Eliza ! ” cried Ulrich, “ or ” He pushed her 

violently from him, and quickly raised his sword against her. 
But two Tyrolese prevented him from carrying out his fell 
design by rushing upon him, seizing his arm with Herculean 
strength, wresting the sword from his hand, throwing the 
weapon far away, and exclaiming triumphantly : “ Now sur- 
render, Bavarian ! You are our prisoner.” 

“ Then shoot me at least,” shouted Ulrich, beside himself 
with rage ; “ shoot me, I say ; death is preferable to the dis- 
grace of being a prisoner of such miserable rabble.” 

“ Hush, beloved, for God’s sake, hush ! ” said Eliza, cling- 
ing to him tenderly. 

He pushed her violently from his side. “ Begone, hypo- 
critical wench ! ” he shouted in a paroxysm of fury ; “ I do 
not want to have any thing to do with you ! ” 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


139 


“ But you shall have something to do with her,*’ said An- 
thony Wallner, with proud calmness. “ The girl says that she 
loves you, and that you promised to marry her. It was bad 
in you to persuade her behind the backs of her parents and 
infatuate her poor heart, and you shall be punished now for 
your infamy. You shall marry Lizzie. The proud and 
wealthy baron who despises the Tyrolese peasants so much 
shall now marry the Tyrolese peasant-girl.” 

“ Yes, yes, that is right,” exclaimed the Tyrolese exulting- 
ly ; “the proud baron shall marry the Tyrolese peasant-girl.” 

“ Let us go down to the village, then,” said Anthony Wall- 
ner ; “ our curate shall marry them immediately at the 
church ; and then let the two leave the place as quickly as 
possible, and bew T are of ever returning to Windisch-Matrey ; 
for never shall the wife of the Bavarian Captain Ulrich von 
Hohenberg dare to say that she is Eliza Wallner, daughter of 
the Tyrolese Anthony Wallner- Aichberger, the innkeeper of 
Windisch-Matrey. I have no longer a daughter — I tear her 
from my heart, as she tore honor, righteousness, and faith 
from hers.” 

Eliza called two Tyrolese with an impetuous wave of her 
hand to her side. “ Hold him,” she said, pointing to Ulrich, 
who, pale and tottering, exhausted from his superhuman 
efforts and loss of blood, was scarcely able to stand on his 
feet ; “hold him, I must speak to my father.” 

She hastened to him, seized both his hands despite his re- 
sistance, and drew his face so close to hers that his hot, pant- 
ing breath touched her cheek ; but he averted his eyes with 
a gloomy expression and avoided meeting her fiery glances. 

“ You do not want to know me, father ! ” she asked mourn- 
fully. “You avert your eyes from your Lizzie, whom you 
called only yesterday your dear, brave Tyrolese girl ? ” 

“You are no child of mine, you are no Tyrolese girl,” ex- 
claimed her father, angrily and mournfully. “ You want to 
marry the Bavarian, and become an aristocratic lady.” 

“ It is all the same to me whether Ulrich yonder is an 
aristocratic gentleman or not,” said Eliza, shaking her head 
proudly; “ I love him only because he pleases me so well, and 
because he loves me so fondly and ardently. But, father, you 
10 


140 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


must not say that I am no true daughter of the Tyrol, and do 
not love the fatherland. I will prove to all of you that I do 
love it ; and to Ulrich yonder, who wished to persuade me to 
run away with him secretly, and who must marry me now to 
atone for it, I will prove likewise that I am no baroness although 
I love him, and that I do not love his king and his brilliant 
uniform, but that I will remain loyal to my emperor alone. 
Listen to me, therefore, father, and all of you : Ulrich von 
Hohenberg is my bridegroom, and therefore you shall not 
kill him, nor do him any harm, but convey him as a prisoner 
to my father’s house, not for the purpose of being married to 
me, but to be kept and nursed as a wounded prisoner. I 
swear by the Lord God and the Holy Virgin, I will not marry 
him till we have conquered, till all Bavarians have been 
driven from the country, and the Emperor Francis is once 
more sovereign of the Tyrol. Nor shall I stay at home to 
nurse my bridegroom and speak with him of love and mar- 
riage, but I will go and fight with you for our Tyrol and our 
emperor. I will fight with my father and my countrymen, 
and prove that I am a true daughter of the Tyrol. When 
you have nothing to eat, I will cook for you ; and when you 
go to fight the Bavarians, I will fight with you. My father’s 
lame porter, our faithful Schropfel, shall have my bride- 
groom in his custody, and protect him until we return to 
our homes. But we shall not return before our dear Tyrol is 
free and restored to the Emperor Francis, and then, father, 
when your Lizzie has bravely fought for our dear Tyrol, you 
will permit her to marry the man whom she loves, and you 
will no longer say that she is not your daughter, will you ?” 

“ No, Lizzie, then I shall no longer say or think so,” cried 
Wallner, folding his daughter to his heart, overcome by his 
emotion. “ Yes, you are a brave/child of the Tyrol ; you shall 
march to the field with us, and when we return to our homes, 
you shall marry your Bavarian. Say, my dear friends, shall 
it be so ? ” 

u Yes, it shall,” shouted the Tyrolese. “ Her wedding shall 
take place when we return to our homes, and when the Tyrol 
is free.” 

“ No, no,” cried Ulrich, raising himself up with a last effort; 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


141 


“ never will my father’s son dishonor himself so deeply as to 
marry a peasant-girl — ” 

He said no more ; a stream of blood rushed from his 
mouth, a mortal pallor overspread his cheeks, his eyes closed, 
and he sank to the ground with a groan of pain. 

“ He is dying ! he is dying ! ” cried Eliza, despairingly. 
She rushed to him, knelt down by his side, and encircled him 
firmly with both her arms, so that his head reposed on her 
breast. 

A cry, a loud, painful cry, resounded above her in the air ; 
all eyes turned toward the balcony, but no one was there ; only 
for a moment it seemed to them as though a female form 
glided through the dining-room. 

‘‘Elza, it was Elza !” murmured Eliza. “Why does she 
not come to me ? why — ” At this moment Ulrich opened his 
eyes again, and fixed a look of proud hatred full upon Eliza’s 
face, which was tenderly bent over him. 

“ I do not love you, I detest you ! ” he hissed, between his 
firmly-compressed teeth. 

“ He lives, thank God, he lives ! ” cried Eliza ; “ now all is 
well, and I am no longer afraid of anything. Schropfel, come 
here ; take him on your shoulders, dear Schropfel, or let John 
help you to carry him to my chamber, where you will lay him 
on my bed. You swear to me by the Holy Virgin that you 
will watch over him faithfully ? ” 

“ I swear by the Holy Virgin,” said Schropfel, lifting his 
heavy fists to heaven, and then fixing his small, flashing eyes 
on Ulrich, as a watch-dog eyes the bone he fears may be taken 
from him. 

“ And now let us settle that affair with the soldiers yon- 
der,” said Anthony Wallner, going to the windows, in front 
of which the sharpshooters were still drawn up in line. 

“ Soldiers in the rooms,” he shouted in a powerful voice, 
“ surrender ! The fight is at an end ; your captain is our 
prisoner. Surrender, or you are lost ; we will set fire to the 
house, and shoot down whosoever jumps out of the windows. 
If you wish to save your lives, surrender.” 

One of the sergeants appeared at the window. 

“We are locked up and surrounded,” he said ; “we have 


142 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


no ammunition, and our captain is a prisoner. Therefore, 
we will surrender if you will allow us to evacuate the castle.” 

“ Yes, but without arms,” said Anthony Wallner, impera- 
tively. “ You will all come in squads of four to the windows 
and hand out your carbines and side-arms. There are yet a 
hundred of you in the rooms. As soon as we have got a hun- 
dred carbines and a hundred sabres we shall open the portal 
and let you out. You may return then to Bavaria, and tell 
your government that no Southern Bavarians, but true Tyro- 
lese, live in the Pusterthal, the Yintschgau, and the Passey r- 
thal.” 

“We accept your terms,” replied the sergeant; “come, 
therefore, and receive our arms.” 

The Tyrolese stepped up to the windows, at each of which 
squads of four soldiers made their appearance, and silently and 
sullenly handed out their arms, which the Tyrolese took and 
stacked in the middle of the court-yard. 

“ Now I will go and see where my Elza has concealed her- 
self,” murmured Eliza to herself ; and she glided hastily 
through the ranks of the Tyrolese into the castle. 

No one was to be seen in the large hall, and, unnoticed by 
anybody, Eliza ascended the staircase, hastened down the cor- 
ridor, and entered the dining-room. 

The instinct of her heart had guided her rightly ; yonder, 
in the most remote corner of the room, sat Elza, groaning 
aloud in bitter woe, her hands clasped on her knees, her head 
bent on her breast, and not perceiving in her agony that Eliza 
came in, that she hastened rapidly, yet noiselessly and on 
tiptoe through the room, and stood still now close in front of 
her. 

“ Why do you weep, dearest Elza ? ” asked Eliza, kneeling 
down before her friend. 

Elza gave a start, and quickly raised her face, over which 
were rolling rivers of scalding tears. “ I do not weep at all, 
Eliza,” she said, in a low voice. 

“Eliza?” she asked, wonderingly. “You call me Eliza ? 
Then I am no longer your darling, your Lizzie ? You did not 
assist me when I had to save your cousin Ulrich below in the 
court-yard ? You uttered a loud cry when he lay more dead 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


143 


than alive in my lap, and you did not come to help him and 
me ? And now you call me Eliza ? ” 

“ What should I have done there ? ” asked Elza, in a bitter, 
mournful tone. “ He reposed well on your breast ; he did 
not need me. I am only his cousin, but you, you are his affi- 
anced bride.” 

“ But formerly, I suppose, Elza, he was to be your affianced 
bridegroom ? ” asked Eliza, in a low, tremulous voice. “ Oh, 
I always thought so ; I knew it all the time, although you 
never told me so. I always thought Elza and Ulrich would 
be a good match ; they are suited to each other, and will love 
each other and be happy. Elza, Ulrich was to be your bride- 
groom, was he not ? ” 

‘ ; What is the use of talking about it now ? ” asked Elza, 
vehemently. “ He is your bridegroom, he has sworn eternal 
fidelity to you, and I shall not dispute him with you. Marry 
him and he happy.” 

“ And would your Lizzie he happy if her Elza were not 
content with her ? ” asked Eliza, tenderly. “ Tell me only 
this : your father and his parents thought you were a good 
match — did they not ? ” 

‘‘ Yes, they did,” whispered Elza, bursting again into tears. 
“ My father told me yesterday that it was his wish, as well as 
that of Ulrich’s parents.” 

“And Ulrich told you, too, that he loved you and would 
marry you ? Tell me the truth, Elza. Never mind what I 
said in the court- yard about Ulrich being my bridegroom. 
Bemember only that I am your Lizzie, who loves you better 
than she can tell you, but who will prove it to you if the good 
God will permit her to do so. Tell me therefore, my darling, 
Ulrich said to you he loved you and wished to marry you ? ” 

“ No, he did not say so, Lizzie, but — but I thought so, I be- 
lieve, and he thought so, too ; and, O God ! I believe I love 
him. It seemed to me as though a dagger pierced my heart 
when you said that he was your bridegroom. I could not 
bear it, and hastened into the house in order not to see and 
hear any thing further. I meant to seat myself quietly in the 
dining-room here and submit to all that might happen ; and 
yet I was drawn irresistibly toward the balcony, and on rush- 


144 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ingout I saw you holding him in your lap and pressing his dear 
pale head to your bosom. I felt as though the heavens were 
falling down on me ; I had to cry out aloud in my anguish 
and despair. I hurried hack into the room, fell on my knees, 
and prayed that death might deliver me from my pains. O 
God, God ! it did not ; I must carry on life’s dreary burden 
and cannot die ! ” 

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed aloud. 

While Elza was speaking, Eliza had turned paler and 
paler ; a slight tremor passed through her whole frame, and 
she compressed her lips firmly, as if to restrain the cry oppress- 
ing her bosom. 

Now she laid her hand gently on Elza’s head. “ You love 
him, Elza,” she said mildly. “ I understand your heart, dear- 
est Elza, you love him. And now dry your tears and listen to 
what I have to say to you. But first you must look at me, 
Elza, and you must show me your dear face ; otherwise I 
won’t tell you the good news I have got for you.” 

Elza dropped her hands from her face, and looked, smiling 
amid her tears, into Eliza’s countenance, which seemed now 
again entirely calm and serene. 

“ Now listen, Elza,” she whispered, hurriedly ; “ Ulrich is 
not my bridegroom, and he never told me that he loved me.” 

Elza uttered a cry of joy, and a sunbeam seemed to illumi- 
nate her face. 

“ I merely said so in order to save him,” added Lizzie ; 
“ that was the reason why I uttered that impudent lie, which 
God Almighty, I hope, will forgive me. I saw that my father 
was just about to kill him, and my heart told me I ought to 
save him at all hazards. I hastened to my father, and the 
words escaped my lips, I myself do not know how. I said I 
loved him, he would marry me, and was my affianced bride- 
groom ; and this saved him, for he was intent on dying rather 
than fall alive, as he said, into the hands of the peasant-rabble. 
That was the reason why he was so bold, abused the Tyrolese 
so violently, and would not cease resisting them. Therefore, 
I had to save him. not only from my father, hut from his own 
rage ; and I did it.” 

“ But do you not love him ? ” asked Elza, smiling. 


THE BRIDEGROOM. 


145 


“ Do you not know that Joseph Thurmwalder has been 
courting me for a year past ? My father will he glad to have 
me marry him ; for he is the son of rich parents and the most 
skillful and handsome hunter in the whole Puster valley.” 

“ But you have often told me that you did not love him ? ” 
“ Have you not often told me likewise that you did not love 
Ulrich, Elza ? We girls are queer beings, and never say whom 
we love ! ” 

“ But Ulrich ! He loves you ! Yes, yes, I know he loves 
you. I have suspected it a long time, and always teased him 
with his attachment to you.” 

u And he always denied it, did he not ? ” 

“ Yes, he did, and yet — ” 

“ And he denied it to-day too, when the lie would have 
saved him at once. He would die rather than be a peasant- 
girl’s bridegroom ! You see, therefore, that he does not love 
me, Elza. But my lie saved his life, and no one must find out 
that Ulrich is not my bridegroom. For if my father and his 
friends should discover it, they would kill him, because he in- 
sulted them too deeply to be forgiven. He must remain my 
bridegroom until tranquillity is re-established in the country.” 

“ Yes, my Lizzie, my darling ! ” exclaimed Elza, encircling 
Eliza’s neck with her arms ; “yes, let him remain your bride- 
groom, my sagacious, brave Tyrolese girl. I always said and 
knew that you would be a heroine if you should have to meet 
a great danger, and to-day you were a heroine.” 

“ Not yet, Elza, but I shall be one. I am going to prove to 
my father and all his friends that I am a true daughter of the 
Tyrol, even though the Bavarian captain is my bridegroom. 
And now, farewell, dearest Elza ; I must go down again to my 
father. But listen, I have to tell you something else yet. I 
shall leave our village with my father to-day. We shall 
march with our friends to Andreas Hofer, for the Tyrolese 
must concentrate their whole forces in order to be strong 
enough when they have to meet the enemy. Hence, it was 
resolved at the very outset, that, so soon as it was time for the 
people to rise against the Bavarians, Speckbacher and his 
friends, and my father with the peasants of the Puster valley, 
should join the men of the Passeyr valley under Hofer’s com- 


146 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


mand. I know that father will set out to-day, and I shall ac- 
company him, Elza. I am not afraid of death and the en- 
emy ; I know that our cause is just, and that the good God 
will he on our side.” 

“ But, nevertheless, many noble hearts will be pierced for 
this just cause, and yours, dearest Lizzie, may be among 
them,” exclaimed Elza, tenderly folding her friend to her 
heart. “ Oh, stay here, my darling, let the men fight it out 
alone ; stay here ! ” 

‘‘ No, Elza, I must go with them. My honor requires it, 
and forbids me to stay at our house with Ulrich von Hohen- 
berg, for whose sake my father called me publicly to-day a rec- 
reant daughter of the Tyrol, and threatened to disown me 
forever. I must prove to all the world that I am a loyal 
daughter of the Tyrol ; and I feel, Elza, that it will do me 
good to contribute my mite to the deliverance of the father- 
land. I am not gentle and patient enough to sit quietly at 
home and wait until dear Liberty looks into my door and says 
to me, k God bless you, Lizzie ! I am here now. and you also 
may profit by the happiness which will be caused by my arri- 
val.’ No, Elza, I must go with my father, I must help him to 
find this dear Liberty on the mountains and in the valleys, 
and must say to her, ‘ God bless thee, Liberty ! I am here now, 
and thou mayst profit by my strength, and I will help thee 
that thou mayst rule again over the mountains and valleys of 
our dear Tyrol.’ ” 

“ Oh, Lizzie, you are a genuine heroine ! ” exclaimed Elza ; 
“ I blush to think that I shall not accompany you and fight by 
your side for Liberty.” 

“ You cannot,” said Lizzie, gravely. “ You have an aged 
father who will stay at home, and whom you must take care 
of ; and the poor and sick count upon you, for they know 
that Elza will always be their good angel. Stay at home and 
pray for me. But never go down to my father’s house, do not 
inquire for Ulrich, and do not try to have him brought to the 
castle here. He is under Schropfel’s surveillance, and Schrop- 
fel would shoot him if he should suspect that all is not as it 
should be. But if God should decree my death, Elza, Ulrich 
would be free at once, and my father would not injure him, 


THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 


147 


inasmuch as he was his Lizzie’s affianced bridegroom. He 
would set him free. Ulrich would then come to you, and, Elza, 
you will tell him not to think that Lizzie Wallner was a bad 
girl, and that she was intent only on getting an aristocratic 
husband. You will tell him that my sole object was to save 
his life, and that I never thought of marrying him. You will 
tell him also that I forgave him the injury which he did me to- 
day, and that I shall pray to God Almigh ty for him . And when 
you stand before God’s altar, and the priest joins your hands, 
think of me, and do not forget that I loved you, dearest Elza, 
better than any once else on earth. And now, farewell, Elza ; 
I shall not kiss you again, for it makes my heart heavy.” 

“ Lizzie, Lizzie ! ” shouted a powerful voice outside at this 
moment ; “ Lizzie, where are you ? ’Tis time to set out ! ” 

“ Here I am, dear father ! ” exclaimed Lizzie, stepping 
quickly out on the balcony. “ I shall come down to you now. 
I was only taking leave of Elza. Now I am ready to set out and 
fight for the dear Tyrol and the dear Emperor Francis ! ” 

“ Hurrah, we will do so ! ” cried the Tyrolese. “We will 
fight for the dear Tyrol and the dear Emperor Francis ! Hur- 
rah ! We will expel the Bavarians ! Hurrah ! the Austrians 
are coming ! Hurrah ! the Tyrol will be free again 1 ” 


CHAPTER XIV. 

THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 

Anthony Wallner and his men marched all day and all 
night through the Puster valley, along the road to the Muhl- 
bach pass. His daughter Eliza, and young John Panzl, his 
friend and sympathizer, walked by his side ; and behind him 
marched the brave Tyrolese, whose force gained strength at 
every step as it advanced, and who, amidst the most enthusi- 
astic acclamations, appointed Anthony Wallner commander- 
in-chief of the men of the Puster valley, and John Panzl his 
lieutenant and assistant. 

“I accept the position, my friends,” said Wallner, taking 


148 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


off his hat and kindly greeting the men ; “ yes, I accept the 
position, and will be your commander, and will always 
lead you faithfully and honestly against the enemy. But 
will you always follow me? Will you not be afraid 
of the enemy’s fire, and take to your heels before his 
artillery ? ” 

“ No, we will not,” shouted the brave men ; “ we will 
stand by you faithfully, and fight with you for the father- 
land and the emperor ! ” 

“ That is right, men,” cried John Panzl, making a leap 
which drew loud exclamations of admiration from the Tyro- 
lese. “ I tell you it is right in you to think so, and therefore I 
will likewise joyfully accept the honor which you have offered 
to me ; I will be your second commander, will always obey the 
orders of our brave commander-in-chief, and assist him and 
you in driving the enemy from our country, for the glory of 
God and our emperor. Ah, my dear Tyrolese, I would we could 
catch the French and the Boafoks at length, take them by 
the neck, and hurl them out of the country. I tell you, after 
we have done it, I shall dance so merrily with Eliza Wallner, 
my dear cousin, that the snowy heads of the Gross-Glockner 
and Venediger will become warm and melt with delight. 
Lizzie, we two, the most celebrated dancers of the whole 
Puster valley, will perform a dance in honor of our victory, 
will we not ? ” 

“We will, Cousin Panzl,” said Eliza, smiling. “ But before 
dancing, we must march on and never run back.” 

“ No, never run back,” shouted the merry and courageous 
Tyrolese. 

“Forward, then, forward ! ” commanded Anthony Wall- 
ner, and the whole force set out again and marched rapidly 
across the mountains and through the valleys ; it was re- 
ceived everywhere with deafening cheers, and gained at every 
step fresh accessions of men, who rushed enthusiastically out 
of their huts, armed with their rifles, or other weapons, even 
though they had only wooden clubs, and bravely joined the 
defenders of the country. 

Already they approached their destination ; in the ex- 
pansive valley below, yonder, lay the town of Brunecken, 


THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 


149 


surmounted by Castle Bruneck and other ancient and decay- 
ing feudal castles ; and behind it, on the way down toward 
Brixen, in the narrower gorge, bordered on both sides by pre- 
cipitous mountains, through which the Rienz hurls its foam- 
ing waters, they beheld already the small town of St. Law- 
rence. After reaching St. Lawrence they had only an hour’s 
march to the Miihlbach pass, which, in accordance with An- 
dreas Hofer’s orders, the brave men of the Puster valley were 
to occupy and defend against the enemy moviug up from 
Botzen. 

But all at once, right in the midst of the march, Anthony 
Wallner stood still, and, turning to Panzl, who was walking 
by the side of the column, gave him a sign to halt. The 
whole column stopped and listened. 

Yes, there was no doubt about it, that was the rattle of 
musketry at a distance ! And now they heard also the loud 
booming of artillery, and the ringing of the tocsin at Bruneck- 
en and St. Lawrence. 

“ Now forward, Tyrolese, forward ! ” shouted Anthony 
Wallner. “At the double-quick down to Brunecken !” 

“ Forward ! ” shouted the men ; and their exclamations were 
echoed joyously by the women who had courageously accom- 
panied their husbands, and who were ready, like them, to 
fight for their country and their emperor. 

They marched with great speed down the Brunecken. The 
whole town was in the utmost commotion. Young and old 
men, women, children — all were hurrying toward the gate 
leading to St. Lawrence. 

“ What is the matter ? ” shouted Anthony Wallner, grasp- 
ing the arm of an old man, who, armed with a pitchfork, was 
speeding along at a furious rate. 

“What is the matter?” echoed the old man, endeavoring 
to disengage his arm from Wallner’s powerful grasp. “ The 
matter is, that the insurrection has broken out at length. The 
Bavarians are bent on destroying the bridge of St. Lawrence, 
in order to prevent the Austrians from crossing it. The 
whole military detachment left our place some time ago for 
the bridge, and sappers and miners, who are to blow it up, 
have arrived this morning from Brixen. But we will not 


150 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


allow them to do it. They must shoot us all before we permit 
them to destroy the bridge.” 

“No, we will not ! ” cried Anthony Wallner. “Forward, 
men of the Puster valley, forward to the bridge of St. Law- 
rence ! ” 

They continued their march through the valley at the 
double-quick. They heard the rattle of musketry and the 
booming of artillery more and more distinctly, and now, at 
a bend in the valley, the most wonderful and striking spec- 
tacle presented itself to their eyes. 

Yonder at a distance lay the well-known bridge, composed 
of a single arch, between tremendous rocks ; by its side stood 
two battalions of Bavarian infantry in serried ranks, and on a 
knoll, close to the bank of the river Rienz, had been planted 
three cannon pointed menacingly both against the bridge 
and the people who were moving up to it in denser and 
denser masses. Captains and other officers were galloping 
up and down in front of the Bavarians, and encouraging their 
men to attack these insurgents who were coming up behind, 
in front, and on both sides of them. The courageous sons of 
the Tyrol rushed down from all the heights ; the tocsin of 
Brunecken and St. Lawrence had not called them in vain. 
They came down the mountains and up the valley ; they 
came, men and women, old men and children ; and all were 
armed : he who did not possess a gun had a flail, a pitchfork, 
or a club. Like a broad, motley river, the crowd was surging 
up from all sides, and at the head and in the midst of the war- 
like groups were to be seen priests in holy vestments, holding 
aloft the crucifix, blessing the defeuders of the country with 
fervent, pious words, and uttering scathing imprecations 
against the enemy. 

And amidst this commotion thundered the field-pieces, 
whose balls crashed again and again against the bridge ; the 
bells were tolled in the church-steeples, and the musketry of 
the Bavarians rattled incessantly. But few of their bullets 
hit their aim. The Tyrolese were too remote from them, 
and only occasionally a loud scream indicated that a half- 
spent bullet had found its way into the breast of a Tyrolese. 
More fatal and unerring were the bullets of the Tyrolese 


THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 


151 


sharpshooters, who had concealed themselves on the heights 
on both sides of the valley, and fired from their hiding-places 
at the Bavarians, never missing their aim and picking off a 
soldier by every shot they discharged. 

Anthony Wallner comprehended the whole situation at a 
glance. “ Boys ! ” he shouted, in a ringing voice, “ we must 
take the cannon. We must not permit the enemy to destroy 
the bridge which the Austrians are to cross. Let \is attack 
the Bavarians ! We must take the cannon ! ” 

“Yes!” shouted the men, “we must take the can- 
non ! ” 

And the shouts reached another troop of armed peasants, 
who repeated it with tumultuous enthusiasm, and soon the 
men on the heights and in the valley cried, “We must take 
the cannon ! ” 

Anthony Wallner gave the signal to his sharpshooters, and 
moved with them into a small forest extending up the moun- 
tain near the cannon. The courageous men disappeared soon 
in the thicket, and, as if in accordance with a general agree- 
ment, the other Tyrolese likewise entered the forest. Below, 
in the valley, knelt the women and children, and before them 
stood the priests with their crucifixes, protecting them there- 
with, as it were, from the enemy who was posted on the other 
side of the valley, and whose ranks were thinned more and 
more by the bullets of the Tyrolese. 

All at once, on the height above the cannon, where there 
was a clearing, and where the rocks were moss-grown and 
bare, the Tyrolese w T ere seen rushing in dense masses from 
the forest. They were headed by Anthony Wallner and John 
Panzl. Each of them jumped on a projection of the rocks 
and raised his rifle. They fired, and two gunners fell mor- 
tally wounded near the cannon. 

The Tyrolese greeted this exploit of their leaders with loud 
cheers ; but up from the Bavarians resounded the commands 
of the officers ; a whole volley crashed, the bullets whistled 
round the ears of Wallner and Panzl, but none hit them ; and 
when the smoke cleared away, John Panzl was seen to make 
a triumphant leap in the air, which he accompanied with a 
shout of victory, while Anthony Wallner calmly raised his 


152 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


rifle again. He fired, and the gunner at the third field-piece 
fell dead. 

“ Now, hovs, at them ; we must take the cannon ! ” shouted 
Wallner, jumping forward, and the Tyrolese followed him 
down the slope with furious shouts. 

“ Forward, forward ! ” shouted the lieutenant-colonel in the 
valley to his Bavarians ; “forward ! the cannon must not fall 
into the hands of the peasants ; we must defend them to the 
last man. Therefore, forward at the double-quick ! ” 

And the Bavarians rushed forward up the slope. 

But the Tyrolese had already succeeded in shooting or 
knocking down all the gunners, and taken possession of the 
cannon. While Anthony Wallner, at the head of a furious 
detachment of his men, hastened to meet the approaching Ba- 
varians, and hurled death and destruction into their ranks, 
John Panzl remained with the others to defend the guns. 

A furious hand-to-hand fight now arose ; the Bavarians 
were repulsed again and again by the Tyrolese, and the sharp- 
shooters, posted behind the trees and rocks, assisted their fight- 
ing brethren with their rifles, which, aimed steadily, never 
missed their man. But the Bavarians, who were drawn up 
farther down in the valley, likewise endeavored to assist their 
struggling comrades : but the bullets which they fired up the 
hill frequently struck into the ranks of their countrymen, and 
not into those of the Tyrolese. Often, on the other hand, 
these bullets did not miss their aim, but carried wounds and 
death into the midst of the insurgents. Whenever this oc- 
curred a young woman was seen to rush amidst the deadliest 
shower of bullets into the ranks of the fighting men, lift up 
the fallen brave, and carry him in her strong arms out of the 
thickest of the fight to the quiet spot on the edge of the forest, 
which a protruding rock protected from the bullets of the 
enemy. 

This young woman was Eliza Wallner. Behind the rock 
she had established a sort of field hospital ; a few women and 
girls had assembled around her there, and taken upon them- 
selves the sacred care for the wounded, while two priests had 
joined them to administer extreme unction to the dying. But 
Eliza Wallner had reserved the most difficult and dangerous 


THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 


153 


part of this work of love for herself. She alone was cour- 
ageous enough to plunge into the thickest of the fight to re- 
move the fallen brethren ; she alone was strong enough to 
carry them to the quiet asylum, and it was only the joyous 
enthusiasm inspired by the consciousness of doing good that 
imparted this strength to her. Her eyes were radiant, her 
cheeks were flushed, and the face of the young girl, formerly 
so rosy and serene, exhibited now the transparent paleness, 
and grave, proud calmness which only great resolves and sub- 
lime moments impart to the human countenance. 

And the women followed her example with joyous zeal ; 
they washed the wounds of the brave Tyrolese with water 
fetched from the neighboring spring, tore their handkerchiefs 
and dresses to make the necessary bandages of them, and 
closed, with tears of devout compassion, the eyes of those who 
gave up the ghost amid the blessings of the priests. 

From these pious works of charity the women were sud- 
denly aroused by the loud cheers of the Tyrolese. Eliza 
sprang forth from behind the rock to see what was the matter. 
Renewed and still louder cheers resounded, for the victory was 
gained. Anthony Wallner and his men had attained their 
object. They had succeeded in hurling the three field-pieces 
from the height into the Rienz, which was rolling along far 
below in its rocky bed. The earth was shaking yet from the 
terrific crash, and echo was resounding still with the thun- 
dering noise with which the field-pieces had fallen into the 
Rienz, whose waters had hurled their foaming spray into the 
air, and were rolling now with an angry roar over the sunken 
cannon. 

This exploit, which excited the transports of the Tyrolese, 
exerted a contrary effect upon the Bavarians. They had lost 
their artillery, and with it the means of blowing up the 
bridge ; and now they stood before the enemy uncovered and 
almost defenceless. In obedience to a loud command uttered 
by Anthony Wallner, the Tyrolese returned quickly into the 
forest, and, hidden behind trees and rocks, hit a Bavarian 
with every bullet, while the Bavarians vainly fired at the well- 
concealed enemy. 

The commander of the Bavarians, Lieutenant-Colonel 


154 


ANDREAS EOFER. 


Wreden, perceiving the danger and uselessness of a continu- 
ance of the struggle, ordered his troops to retreat ; and no 
sooner had the Bavarians received this longed-for order, than 
they fell back at the double-quick from the bridge and took 
the road to Sterzing. 

This retreat of the enemy was greeted by the renewed 
cheers which Eliza Wallner had heard ; and, both laughing 
and weeping for joy, she hastened to fold her father to her 
heart, and thank God that no bullet had hit him. 

Wallner embraced her tenderly, and imprinted a kiss on 
her forehead. 

“You have behaved very bravely, Lizzie,” he said ; “ I saw 
how you carried our poor brethren out of the thickest of the 
fight. My heart was proud of you, and I should not have 
wept to-day even though you had fallen in the sacred service 
of the fatherland. But I thank God that nothing has hap- 
pened to you, and I beseech you, dearest Lizzie, do not accom- 
pany us any farther. I now believe again in you, and I know 
that you are a true daughter of the Tyrol, although you un- 
fortunately love a Bavarian. Therefore go home ; for it is no 
woman’s work that is in store for us ; we have a hard struggle 
before us, and a great deal of blood will be shed before we 
have driven the mean Bavarians and the accursed French 
from >ur beloved country.” 

“No, father, I shall stay with you,” exclaimed Eliza, with 
eager determination. “ I am not able to sit at home and spin 
and pray when my father is fighting for the country. Mother 
can attend alone to our household affairs, and Shropfel 
will assist her ; but you cannot attend alone to the hard work 
here, and I will help you, dearest father. I will be the doctor 
and surgeon of your men until you have found a better and 
more skilful physician. You must not reject me, dearest 
father, for you would commit wrong against the poor wounded 
who have no other assistance than what they receive at my 
hands and at those of the women whom I beg and persuade to 
help me.” 

“ You are right, Lizzie ; it would be wrong in me to send 
you home and not permit you to assist and nurse the wound- 
ed,” said her father, gravely. “May God and the Holy Vir- 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 


155 


gin help and protect you ! I devote you to the fatherland to 
which I devote myself.” 

He kissed her once more, and then turned to the Tyrolese, 
who, encamped in groups on the edge of the forest, and repos- 
ing from the struggle, were partaking of the bread and meat 
which they had brought along in their haversacks. 

“Brethren,” exclaimed Anthony Wallner, in a powerful 
voice, “now let us he up and doing ! We must cut off the 
enemy’s retreat to Sterzing. We must also occupy the Miihl- 
bach pass, as Andreas Hofer ordered us to do in the Archduke 
John’s name. The enemy has set out thither, and if he gets 
before us through the gap of Brixen and reaches the bridge of 
Laditch, we shall be unable to prevent him from passing 
through the Miihlbach pass and marching to Sterzing. Hence, 
we are not at liberty to repose now, but must advance rapidly. 
One detachment of our men, commanded by my Lieutenant 
Panzl, will push on quickly on the mountain-road to the 
Miihlbach pass. The rest of us will follow you, but we must 
previously detain the enemy at the gap of Brixen ; and while 
we are doing duty, another detachment of our men will go 
farther down to the bridge of Laditch and destroy it in order 
to prevent the enemy from crossing the Eisach. Forward, 
my friends ! Forward to the gap of Brixen ! We must roll 
down trees, detach large fragments from the rocks, and hurl 
them down on the enemy ; we must fire at them from the 
heights with deadly certainty, and every bullet must hit its 
man. Forward ! forward ! To the bridge of Laditch ! ” 

“ Yes, yes ! ” exclaimed the Tyrolese, with enthusiastic 
courage. “ Forward to the bridge of Laditch ! ” 


CHAPTER XV. 

THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 

Night had at length brought some repose to the exhausted 
Bavarians. At no great distance from the gap of Brixen they 
had halted late in the evening, and encamped on the bare 
11 


156 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ground in the valley below. The green turf was their bed, a 
stone their pillow ; nevertheless, they had been able to enjoy 
a few hours of peaceful slumber, for they were familiar with 
the habits of the Tyrolese ; they knew that they never under- 
took any thing, not even a hunting-excursion, in the dead of 
night, and that they had nothing to fear from them until sun- 
rise. 

But now the first streaks of dawn illuminated the sky ; it 
was time, therefore, to continue the march. Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel von Wreden rose from the couch which the soldiers had 
prepared for him of moss and branches, and reviewed, accom- 
panied by his officers, his small force, which began sullenly 
and silently to form in line. A cloud darkened Wreden’s 
face when, marching through the ranks, he counted the num- 
ber of his soldiers. He had arrived yesterday at the bridge of 
St. Lawrence with nearly four hundred men ; scarcely one- 
half of them were left now ; the other half lay slain at the 
bridge of St. Lawrence, or, exhausted by the loss of blood and 
by the pains of gaping wounds, had sunk down on the road 
and been unable to continue the march. 

“ And these poor men will likewise be killed to-day unless 
speedy succor comes,’’ murmured the lieutenant-colonel to 
himself ; “ we are all lost if the miserable rabble of peasants 
reach the gap of Brixen before us. We are all lost, for we 
shall be entirely cut off from our friends and surrounded by 
our enemies, who are able to avail themselves of their moun- 
tain fastnesses and hiding-places, while we must march through 
the valley and across the open plain. But all these com- 
plaints are useless. We must do our duty ! The soldier’s life 
belongs to his oath and his king ; and if he falls in the service, 
he has done his duty.” 

And with strong determination and bold courage the lieu- 
tenant-colonel threw back his head, and fixed his eye stead- 
fastly on his soldiers. 

“ Forward,” he shouted, “ forward, boys ! Forward against 
these miserable peasants, who have violated the faith they 
plighted to our king. Forward ! forward ! ” 

The column, headed by Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden, 
commenced moving. His eyes glanced anxiously over the 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 


157 


plain now opening before them. Suddenly they are riveted 
on a point yonder on the mountain-road leading southward to 
Italy. What is that ? Does it not flash there like a mass of 
bayonets ? Does it not look as though a brilliant serpent, glit- 
tering in blue, red, and gold, were moving along the road ? It 
draws nearer and nearer, and the lieutenant-colonel is able to 
distinguish its parts. Yes, these parts are soldiers ; this ser- 
pent consists of regimeuts marching along in serried ranks. 

Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden uttered a cry of joy and 
galloped forward. Already he discerned distinctly the uni- 
forms of the staff-officers riding at the head of the column. 
They were friends ; they were French soldiers headed by 
General Bisson. 

Wreden galloped forward to salute the general and com- 
municate to him in brief, winged words his own disaster and 
his apprehensions regarding the immediate future. 

“ Well, you have nothing to fear now,” said General Bis- 
son, with a pleasant and proud smile. “ It was no accident, 
but a decree of Fate, that caused us to meet here. I was or- 
dered by my emperor to march with a column of four thou- 
sand men from Mantua to Ratisbon, and I am now on the road 
to the latter place. Hence, our route leads us through the gap 
of Brixen, and as a matter of course you will join us with your 
troops. I hope our united forces will succeed in routing these 
miserable peasants ! ” 

“Yes, if we could meet them in the open plain,” sighed 
Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden. “ But in their mountains 
and gorges our thousands will vainly struggle against their 
hundreds. The bulwarks of their mountains protect them.” 

“We shall drive them from these bulwarks,” said General 
Bisson, haughtily. “ But I believe the rabble will not even 
wait for this, but take to their heels as soon as they see the head 
of my column. Therefore, join my regiments, lieutenant- 
colonel, and let us march fearlessly through the gap of 
Brixen.” 

Half an hour afterward they had reached the dark and 
awe-inspiring gap of Brixen, and the united Bavarian and 
French troops marched with a measured step along the nar- 
row road, on both sides of which rose steep gray rocks, covered 


158 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


here and there with small pine forests, and then again exhibit- 
ing their naked, moss-grown walls, crowned above with their 
snowy summits glistening like burnished silver in the morn- 
ing sun. 

The column under General Bisson penetrated deeper and 
deeper into the gorge. Enormous rocks now closed the road 
in their front and rear. A profound, awful stillness surround- 
ed them ; only here and there they heard the rustling of a 
cascade falling down from the mountains with silvery spray, 
and flowing finally as a murmuring rivulet through the val- 
ley ; now and then they heard also the hoarse croaking of 
some bird of prey soaring in the air ; otherwise, all was still. 

General Bisson, who was riding in the middle of his 
column, turned smilingly to Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden : 
“ Did I not tell you, my dear lieutenant-colonel,” he said, “ that 
these miserable peasants would take to their heels so soon as 
our column came in sight ? They were, perhaps, able to cope 
with your few hundred men, but my four thousand men—” 

The loud crash of a rifle interrupted his sentence ; a second, 
third, and fourth report followed in rapid succession. The 
heights seemed all at once to bristle with enemies. Like an 
enormous man-of-war, lying at first calm and peaceful, and 
then opening her port-holes, these gray rocks seemed sud- 
denly to open all their port-holes and pour out death and de- 
struction. 

From the rock in front yonder, from the steep mountains 
on both sides, from the precipitous hill jutting out in their 
rear and closing the gloomy gorge, rifle-shots rattled down 
with unerring aim ; every bullet hit its man, every bullet 
struck down a soldier in the ranks of the Bavarians and 
French ; then were heard the triumphant cheers of the Tyro- 
lese, who, for a moment, stepped forth from their safe hiding- 
places, danced on the rocks, jeered at the enemy with loud, scorn- 
ful words, and disappeared again so quickly, that the bullets 
which the soldiers fired at them glanced harmlessly from the 
flanks of the rocks. 

But the Tyrolese fought not with their rifles alone against 
the enemy marching through the deep and awful gorge. 
Nature had prepared other means of defence for them ; it had 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 


159 


given them trees and rocks. They hurled the trees, which the 
storms had felled years ago, and which fragments of rock had 
held on the brink of the precipice, into the depth of the gorge ; 
they detached large fragments from the rocks, and rolled them 
down on the soldiers, many of whom w T ere crushed by these 
terrible missiles. And when these trees and rocks fell into the 
depth, and spread death and confusion in the ranks of 
the soldiers, the Tyrolese profited by this moment to aim 
and strike down additional victims by their rifle bullets. 

And there was no escape for these poor soldiers, who, ex- 
posed to the fury of their enemies, did not even enjoy the con- 
solation of wreaking vengeance upon them. In silent de- 
spair, and shedding tears of rage, the French and Bavarians 
continued their march ; the corpses of their brethren, which 
the rear-guard met on the horrible road, could not detain 
them ; they had to pass over them, and abstain even from 
coming to the assistance of their dying friends ; crushed under 
their feet, the latter had to give up the ghost. 

At length the gorge widens before them ; the rocks in 
front recede on both sides, and a bright, expansive plain opens 
to their view. The soldiers greet this prospect with loud 
cheers of delight, which their officers dare not repress in the 
name of discipline ; for, on emerging from an open grave, a 
soldier feels like a human being, and thanks God for the pres- 
ervation of his life. Hundreds had fallen, but several thou- 
sands were left, and their ardent rage, their fiery revengeful- 
ness longed for the strugglein which they might avenge their 
fallen comrades. And Fate seemed intent on fulfilling their 
wishes. Yonder, at the extremity of the plain through which 
the soldiers were now marching ; yonder, on the bank of the 
Eisach, was seen a motley crowd ascending the slopes of the 
mountains on both sides of the river. 

“Yes, there are the Tyrolese, there are our enemies,” cried 
the Bavarians and French, with grim satisfaction ; and they 
marched at the double-quick toward the bank of the river. 

“ The peasants, I believe, intend to prevent us from crossing 
the river,” said General Bisson, with a contemptuous shrug. 

“ They have taken position in front of the bridge of La- 
ditch, and so closely that I can see nothing of it,” replied 


160 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Lieutenant-Colon el von Wreden. Suddenly lie uttered a cry 
of surprise, and looked steadfastly toward the extremity of 
the valley, where the rocks jutted out again into it, and where 
the furious Eisach makes a sudden hend from one side of the 
valley to the other. Formerly there had risen here, between 
tremendous rocks, the majestic arch of the bridge of Laditch. 
For many centuries past this wonderful arch had spanned the 
abyss ; it was a monument dating from the era of the ancient 
Romans, and Caesar himself, perhaps, had crossed this bridge 
on his march against the free nations of the North. But now 
this arch had disappeared, or rather its central part had been 
removed, and between its two extremities yawned a terrible 
abyss, through which the Eisach rushed with thundering 
noise. 

“ The Tyrolese have destroyed the bridge ! ” exclaimed 
Von Wreden, in dismay. 

Ah, the brigands ! ” said Bisson, contemptuously. “ It 
will, therefore, be necessary for us to construct a temporary 
bridge in order to get over to the other side.” 

Yes, the Tyrolese had destroyed the bridge of Laditch ; and 
while a small division of their men had quickly moved on to 
occupy the Muhlbach pass, the others, under the command of 
Anthony Wallner, had taken position on the opposite bank of 
the Eisach, in order to prevent the enemy from crossing the 
river. All the men from the neighboring village of Laditch 
had joined the forces of Anthony Wallner, and on the moun- 
tains stood the sharpshooters from the villages far and near, 
called out by the tocsin, and ready to dispute every inch of the 
beloved soil with the enemy. 

The columns of the Bavarians and French approached, and 
shots were exchanged on both sides. “ Forward ! ” shouted 
Anthony Wallner, and he advanced with his brave men to the 
Puster valley, close to the bridge upon which the enemy was 
moving up. 

The bullets whistled around him, hut he paid no attention 
to them ; he saw only the enemy, and not the dangers mena- 
cing him. But the other Tyrolese saw them only too well. 
Up in the mountains they were brave and resolute ; but in 
the plain, where they were on equal ground with the enemy, 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 


161 


they felt ill at ease and anxious. Moreover, the odds of the 
enemy were truly formidable, not only in numbers but also in 
arms. Only a part of the Tyrolese were provided with rifles 
and muskets ; more than half of them were armed only with 
flails, pitchforks, and clubs. The soldiers had not only their 
muskets, but also field-pieces, whose balls thundered now 
across the plain and carried death into the ranks of the Tyro- 
lese. 

Terror and dismay seized the sharpshooters ; they turned 
and began to flee into the mountains. But an unexpected ob- 
stacle obstructed their path. A number of intrepid women, 
who had flocked to the scene from the neighboring villages, 
met them at this moment. They received the fugitives with 
threatening invectives ; they drove them back with uplifted 
arms, with flaming eyes, with imprecations, and scornful 
laughter, down the slope, regardless of the bullets whistling 
around them, and of the enemy moving up closer and closer 
to them. The fugitives are obliged to turn and plunge once 
more into the struggle, which becomes more and more furi- 
ous. Yonder, close to the fragments of the bridge, stand the 
Tyrolese ; here, near the fragments on this side of the river, 
are the soldiers and the French engineers advancing to con- 
struct a temporary bridge across the chasm, and thereby unite 
again the disrupted ends of the ancient Roman structure. 

The fire of the Tyrolese becomes weaker ; loud lamenta- 
tions burst from their ranks. They are exhausted and weary, 
owing to the heavy exertions of the day ; hunger and thirst 
torment them, and their strength is gone. 

“ Give us something to eat ! Give us something to drink ! ” 
they shout to the women occupying the mountain-path in their 
rear up to the solitary house, the inn Zur Eisach , which has 
already been hit by many a ball from the enemy’s guns. 

“ Courage, brethren, courage ! ” shouted Eliza Wallner. 
“I will bring you refreshments.” 

And, like a gazelle, she hastens up the hillside, skipping 
from rock to rock until she reaches the battered house. The 
bullets whistle around her, but she laughs at them, and does 
not even turn to vouchsafe a glance at the danger. She leaps 
on courageously ; now she reaches the house, she disappears 


162 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


through the door, and no sooner has she entered than a can- 
non-ball strikes the wall right above the door. After a very 
brief space of time, Eliza Wallner reappears in the door. On 
her head she carries a keg, which she supports with both her 
uplifted arms. With a serene glance, with rosy cheeks and 
smiling lips, a charming picture of grace, loveliness, and cour- 
ageous innocence, she descends the mountain-path again, and 
even the bullets of the enemy respect her ; they whistle past 
her on both sides, but do not hit her. Eliza hastens down the 
slope, and now she reaches the bridge, and arrives where are 
posted the Tyrolese, who receive the courageous girl with 
deafening cheers. 

All at once she feels a jerk in the keg on her head, and 
immediately after its contents pour in a clear cold stream 
down on her face and neck. A bullet had struck the keg and 
passed clear through it. Eliza bursts into merry laughter, 
lifts the keg with her plump, beautiful arms from her head, 
and stops the two holes with both her hands, so that the wine 
can no longer run out. 

“ Now come, boys,” she shouts, in a loud, merry voice ; 
“come and drink, else the wine will run out. The enemy has 
tapped the keg ; he wished to save us the trouble. Come and 
drink.” 

“Stand back, Lizzie,” shouts Panzl to her; “step behind 
the rock yonder, that the bullets may not hit you.” 

“ I shall not do it,” said Eliza, with a flushed face ; “ I shall 
not conceal myself. I am a true daughter of the Tyrol, and 
God will protect me here as well as there. — Come, boys, and 
drink. Bring your glasses, or rather apply your mouth to 
the keg and drink.” 

Two young Tyrolese sharpshooters hastened to her. Eliza 
held up the keg ; the two young men knelt before her and 
applied their mouths to the holes made by the bullet, and 
sucked out the wine, looking with enamoured glances up to 
the heroic girl who looked down on them smilingly. 

“ Now you have drunk enough, go and fight again for the 
fatherland,” she said, and signed to two other sharpshooters 
to refresh themselves from the keg. The two young men 
hastened back to their comrades, not knowing whether it was 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 163 

v 

the wine or the sight of the lovely Tyrolese girl that filled 
them with renewed courage and enthusiasm. 

The two other Tyrolese had drunk likewise. Suddenly 
another bullet whistles along and darts past close to Eliza's 
cheeks, causing her to reel for a moment. A cry of dismay 
burst from the lips of those who saw it ; but Eliza already 
smiled again, and she exclaimed, in a merry voice : “ Make 
haste, boys ! else another bullet will come and pierce the keg 
again, when the wine will run into the grass. Therefore, 
make haste ! ” 

Two other Tyrolese hastened up to drink ; then two more, 
and so on, until the keg was empty. 

“ Now you have refreshed yourselves,” cried Eliza, “ and 
you must bravely return to the struggle.” 

And the Tyrolese took position on the river-bank, with re- 
doubled courage and enthusiasm, to prevent the French from 
finishing the temporary bridge. 

But the fire of the enemy thinned the ranks of the Tyrolese 
fearfully ; their shots became few and far between, and gradu- 
ally a regular panic seized them. They began to give way ; 
even the scornful cries of the women, who tried to obstruct 
their path, were powerless to keep them back. They pushed 
the women aside, and rushed resistlessly up the mountain- 
path. 

At this moment loud cheers burst from the lips of the ene- 
my. The Tyrolese started. They looked back, and saw to 
their dismay that the engineers had succeeded in finishing the 
temporary bridge across the Eisach, and that nothing pre- 
vented the enemy now from passing over to their side of the 
river. 

“ Surrender ! Lay down your arms ! ” shouted Lieutenant- 
Colonel von Wreden, on the other bank. 

The Tyrolese were silent, and gazed with mute dismay 
upon the bridge. All at once they heard a voice resounding 
on the hills above them as it were from the clouds. This voice 
shouted : “ The imperialists are coming ! The Austrians, our 
saviours, are coming ! ” 

And at the same time a detachment of light-horse appeared 
on the heights of Schaps. They galloped down the slope, and 


164 : 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


were followed by several companies of chasseurs and infantry, 
who rushed down at the double-quick. 

Loud, exulting cheers burst from the lips of the Tyro- 
lese, and found thundering echoes in the mountains and 
gorges. 

The French and Bavarians started, for this sudden ap- 
parition took them completely by surprise ; they had not 
even suspected that the Austrians had already invaded 
the Tyrol. They hesitated, and did not venture to cross the 
river. 

This hesitation of the enemy and the arrival of the Austrians 
filled the Tyrolese with transports. Some threw down their 
rifles to embrace each other and swing their hats merrily, 
while others were dancing with their rifles as though they 
were their sweethearts ; and others again sang and warbled 
ringing Tyrolese Jodlers. Finally, some of them, filled with 
profound emotion and fervent gratitude, sank down on their 
knees to thank God for this wonderful rescue and the long- 
wished-for sight of the dear Austrian uniforms. 

The French and Bavarians, in the mean time, thunder- 
struck at the sudden arrival of the Austrians, whose numbers 
they were as yet unable to ascertain, had made a retrograde 
movement in their first terror. But this did not last long. 
“ If we do not want to perish here to the last man, we must try 
to force a passage,” said General Bisson. “ Forward, there- 
fore, forward !” 

The troops moved, and began to march across the bridge. 

But now the Austrians had come close up to them. The 
Tyrolese received them with deafening shouts of “ Long live 
the Emperor Francis ! Long live Austria ! ” 

Then they turned once more with fervent enthusiasm to- 
ward the enemy. “ Down with the base Bavarians ! For- 
ward ! forward ! Down with them 1” they shouted on all 
sides ; and the Tyrolese rushed with furious impetuosity upon 
the enemy. Their scythes and flails mowed down whole 
ranks, and many soldiers were soon laid prostrate by the un- 
erring aim of the mountain sharpshooters. Mountains of 
corpses we^*e piled up, rivers of blood flowed down into the 
waters of the Eisach, and the crimson-colored waves carried 


THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH. 165 

down through the Tyrol the intelligence that the struggle for 
the fatherland had commenced. 

Nevertheless, the forces of the enemy were too numerous 
for the Tyrolese and the small advanced guard of the Austrians 
to annihilate them entirely. The Bavarians and French 
forced a passage through the ranks of their enthusiastic ene- 
mies with the courage and wrath of despair ; hundreds of them 
remained dead on the bloody field, but nearly two thousand 
ascended the Eisach toward Sterzing. 

Anthony Wallner beckoned to his daughter, and stepped 
with her behind a jutting rock. “ First, Lizzie, my heroic girl, 
give me a kiss,” he said, encircling her with one of his arms, 
and pressing her fondly to his broad breast. “ You have been 
your father’s joy and pride to-day, and I saw that the dear 
little angels were protecting you, and that the bullets for this 
reason whistled harmlessly around you. Hence, you are now 
to render an important service to the fatherland. I must 
send a messenger to Andreas Hofer, but I need the men for 
fighting here ; and, moreover, the enemy might easily catch 
my messenger. But he will allow a Tyrolese girl like you 
to pass through his lines, and will not suspect any thing 
wrong about her. Now will you take my message to Andreas 
Hofer?” 

“ I will, father.” 

“ Run, then, my daughter, run along the mountain-paths ; 
you can climb and leap like a chamois, and will easily get 
the start of the enemy, who is marching on the long roads in 
the valley. Hasten toward Sterzing. If all has passed off as 
agreed upon, you will find Andreas Hofer there. Tell him 
now in my name that the Austrians are coming up from Salz- 
burg and that I have done my duty and redeemed my pledge. 
Tell him further that the whole Puster valley is in insurrec- 
tion, and that we are bravely at work, and driving the Bava- 
rians and French from the country. But tell him also to be 
on his guard, for we have not been able to annihilate the ene- 
my entirely, and they will soon make their appearance at 
Sterzing. Let him be ready to receive the enemy there as 
they deserve it.” 

“ Is that all, dearest father ? ” 


166 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Yes, Lizzie, it is. Tell Andy what has happened here, 
and do not forget to tell him how you brought down the keg 
of wine that the boys might drink courage from it.” 

“ No, father, I shall not tell him that. It would look as 
though I thought I had done something great, and wished to 
be praised for it. But now, farewell, dearest father. I will 
hasten to Andreas Hofer.” 

“ Farewell, dearest Lizzie. The angels and the Holy Vir- 
gin will protect you. I have no fears for your safety.” 

“Nor I either, dearest father. The good spirits of the 
mountain will accompany me. Farewell ! ” 

She kissed her hands to him, and bounded up the moun- 
tain-path with the speed and gracefulness of a gazelle. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 

While these events were going on below Brixen, Andreas 
Hofer had marched with the men of the Passeyr valley across 
the Janfen. The inhabitants everywhere had received him 
with loud exultation : they had risen everywhere, ready to 
follow him, to fight under him for the deliverance of the 
fatherland, and to stake their fortunes and their lives for the 
emperor and the beloved Tyrol. Hofer's column accordingly 
gained strength at every step as it advanced. He had set out 
with a few hundred men on the 9th of April ; and now, on 
the morning of the 11th of April, already several thousand 
men had rallied around him, and with them he had reached 
the heights of Sterzing. Andreas Hofer halted his men here, 
where he had a splendid view of the whole plain, and ordered 
his Tyrolese to encamp and repose after their long and ex- 
hausting march. He himself did not care for repose, for his 
heart was heavy and full of anxiety ; and his glance, usually 
so serene, was clouded and sombre. 

While the others were resting and partaking gayly of the 
wine and food which the women and girls of the neighboring 


ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 


167 


villages had brought to them with joyous readiness, Andreas 
Hofer ascended a peak from which he had a full view of the 
mountain-chains all around and the extensive plain at his 
feet. His friend and adjutant, Anthony Sieberer, had fol- 
lowed him noiselessly ; and on perceiving him, Andreas Ho- 
fer smiled and nodded pleasantly to him. 

“ See, brother,” he said, pointing with a sigh down to the 
valley, “ how calm and peaceful every thing looks ! There 
lies Sterzing, so cozy and sweet, in the sunshine ; the fruit- 
trees are blossoming in its gardens ; the daisies, primroses, and 
hawthorns have opened their little eyes, and are looking up to 
heaven in silent joy. And now I am to disturb this glorious 
peace and tranquillity, tear it like a worthless piece of paper, 
and hurl it like Uriah’s letter, into the faces of the people. 
Ah, Sieberer, war is a cruel thing ; and when I take every 
thing into consideration, I cannot help thinking that men 
commit a heavy sin by taking the field in order to slay, shoot, 
and stab, as though they were wild beasts bent on devouring 
one another, and not men whom God created after His own 
likeness ; and I ask myself, in the humility of my heart, 
whether or not I have a right to instigate my dear friends and 
countrymen to follow me and attack men who are our brethren 
after all.” 

“ If you really ask yourself such questions, and have lost 
your courage, then we are all lost,” said Sieberer, gloomily. 
“ It is Andreas Hofer in whom the men of the Passeyr valley 
believe, and whom they are following into the bloody strug- 
gle. If Hofer hesitates, all will soon despond ; and it would 
be better for us to retrace our steps at once, and allow Bona- 
parte and the French to trample us again in the dust, in- 
stead of lifting our heads like freemen, and fighting for our 
rights. ” 

“We have gone too far, we can no longer retrace our 
steps,” said Andreas Hofer, shaking his head gently, and 
lifting his eyes to heaven. After a pause he added in a loud, 
strong voice : “ And even though it were otherwise, even 
though we could still retrace our steps, I should not consent 
to it. I shall never repent of having raised my voice in be- 
half of the Tyrol and the emperor ; nor have I lost my cour- 


168 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


age, as you seem to think, brother Sieberer. I know full well 
that we owe it to our good emperor and the fatherland to de- 
fend it to the last breath, and I do not tremble for myself. I 
have dedicated my life to the dear fatherland ; I have taken 
leave of my wife and my children, and belong now only to 
the Tyrol and the emperor. If my blood were sufficient to 
deliver our country, I should joyously and with a grateful 
prayer throw myself down from this peak and shatter my 
bones ; and dying, I should thank God for vouchsafing such 
an honor to me, and allowing me to purchase the liberty of 
the country with my blood. But I am but a poor and humble 
servant and soldier of the Lord, and my blood will not he suffi- 
cient ; hut many will have to spill theirs and die, that the rest 
may be free and belong again to our dear emperor. And this is 
the reason why, on contemplating the brave men and coura- 
geous lads who have followed my call, I feel pity, and ask myself 
again and again. Had I a right to call them away from their 
homes, their wives and children, and lead them, perhaps, into 
the jaws of death ? Will not the Lord curse me for preach- 
ing insurrection and war instead of submissiveness and hu- 
mility ? ” 

“Well, you are a pious man, Andy,” said Sieberer, with a 
reproachful glance, “ and yet you have forgotten what our Re- 
deemer said to the Pharisees.” 

“ What do you mean, Anthony ? Tell me, if it will com- 
fort me.” 

“ He said, ‘ Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, 
and unto God the things that are God’s.’ Now, I think that 
our Tyrol is the emperor’s, and that the Bavarians and French 
have nothing to do with it, but have merely stolen it from the 
emperor. Therefore, we act only in accordance with the pre- 
cepts of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we stake our lives and for- 
tunes to restore tq, the emperor that which is the emperor’s. 
And I think, too, that the churches and convents are the 
houses of the Lord and belong to Him alone. Now, the Bava- 
rians have stolen the houses of the Lord in the Tyrol, and 
have ignominiously driven out His servants. Hence we act 
again in accordance with the precepts of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
if we stake our lives and fortunes to restore to God that which 


ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 109 

is God’s ; and if, in doing so, we should all lose our lives, we 
should die in the holy service of God and the emperor ! ” 

“ You are right, brother Sieberer,” exclaimed Hofer, joy- 
fully, “and I thank you for comforting and strengthening 
my heart. Yes, we are in the service of God, our emperor, 
and the beloved Tyrol.” 

“And God and the emperor have imposed on Andreas 
Hofer the duty of acting at the same time as prophet of the 
Lord and as captain of the emperor. Go, then, Andreas, and 
do your duty ! ” said Sieberer, solemnly. 

“ I shall do my duty bravely and faithfully to the last ! ” 
exclaimed Hofer, enthusiastically. Then he raised the small 
crucifix from his breast, kissed it devoutly, and prayed in a 
low voice. 

A sarcastic smile overspread Anthony Sieberer’s face, but 
it disappeared quickly when he happened to turn his eyes to 
the neighboring mountains. He looked keenly and search- 
ingly toward the mountain-path leading to Mittewald. He 
saw there a small black speck which was advancing with great 
rapidity. Was it a bird ? No, the speck had already become 
larger ; he saw it was a human being — a woman speeding 
along the mountain-path. Now she was so close to them that 
he could distinguish her face ; it was that of a young girl ; 
her cheeks flushed, her eyes radiant ; bold and intrepid as a 
chamois, she hastened forward ; her long, black tresses were 
waving round her head, and her bosom heaved violently un- 
der the folds of her white corset. 

Now, she stood still for a moment, and seemed to listen ; 
then she bent far over the precipice, on the brink of which 
she was standing, and below which the Tyrolese were en- 
camped. No sooner had she perceived them than she uttered 
a loud cry of exultation, and bounding forward, she exclaimed 
joyously : “ There are the men of the Passeyr valley ! Now I 
shall find their leader, Andreas Hofer, too ! — Andreas Hofer ! 
where are you, Andreas Hofer ?” 

“ Here I am ! ” shouted Andreas Hofer, starting up from 
his fervent prayer, and advancing a few steps. 

The young girl gave a start on discovering the two men, 
who had hitherto been concealed from her by a large rock ; 


170 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


bat she looked at them searcliingly, and did not seem to be 
frightened or anxious. 

“ Are you really Andreas Hofer ? ” she asked, breathlessly. 

“Ask him if I am,” said Hofer, smiling and pointing to 
Sieberer. 

“ That is unnecessary,” she replied calmly ; “ I see that you 
are Andreas Hofer. You look precisely as my father described 
you to me. There is the long beard, the crucifix, the saint’s 
image on your breast ; and there are the kind eyes, and the 
whole dear face. God bless you, Andreas Hofer ! I bring 
you many cordial greetings from my father, Anthony Wall- 
ner- Aichberger. ” 

“ God bless you, maiden,” exclaimed Andreas Hofer, hold- 
ing out both his hands to her. Eliza took them, bent over 
Hofer’s right hand, and imprinted a glowing kiss on it. 

“ Girl, what are you doing ? ” asked Hofer, blushing with 
confusion. 

“ I kiss the dear hand which the Lord has chosen to de- 
liver the Tyrol,” she said ; “the dear hand which holds the 
rosary so piously and the sword so bravely ; the hand into 
which my father laid his hand, as if on an altar, when he 
swore to God that he would assist in delivering the Tyrol from 
the enemy and restoring it to the emperor.” 

“ Look at this girl, Sieberer ; how well she knows how to 
flatter me,” exclaimed Andreas, smilingly patting her flushed 
cheek. “ And you say your father sent you to me ? ” 

“ Yes, he did, Andreas Hofer. I ran all day yesterday ; 
and this morning I rose with the sun and continued my trip 
in order to reach you as soon as possible, and deliver my 
father’s message to you.” 

“ You must be tired, poor little girl ! ” said Hofer, com- 
passionately. “ Sit down on the rock yonder. There ! And 
now speak ! ” 

“In the first place, Anthony Wallner sends greeting, and 
informs you that he has kept his word faithfully. The whole 
Puster valley has already risen in insurrection ; all the men 
followed him, and were ready and eager to fight for the Tyrol 
and the dear Emperor Francis. We have fought already a 
bloody battle at the bridge of St. Lawrence, and another at 


ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 


171 


the bridge of Laditch. Many soldiers of the enemy were 
killed in the gap of Brixen, and many French and Bavarians 
fell at the bridge of Laditch ; but we also lost a great many 
men there. Our men fought bravely, but there were too many 
of the Bavarians and French, and so they finally succeeded in 
breaking through our ranks and continued their march to- 
ward Sterzing. Hence, my father sent me to you in the great- 
est haste to inform you of what has occurred, and tell you 
to be on your guard. There are several thousand Bavarians 
and French on the march to Sterzing. It is true, our men 
have occupied the Miihlbach pass; but the enemy is too strong, 
our men will not be able to annihilate him entirely.” 

“ Then he will come hither,” exclaimed Andreas Hofer. 

“ Yes, and we shall have a fight at length,” said Anthony 
Sieberer, joyously. “ I am glad that our men will at length 
be face to face with the enemy and see bloodshed.” 

“ And the Austrians are not coming yet,” sighed Andreas 
Hofer. 

“Yes ! they are !” exclaimed Eliza. “Anthony Wallner 
instructed me to tell you that too. Several hundred Austrians 
joined us already at the bridge of Laditch. It was their ad- 
vanced guard, and they said that all the others would follow 
them soon.” 

“ It is General Hiller with the troops moving up from Salz- 
burg,” said Hofer. “ But where are Chasteler and Hormayr, 
who were to join us from Carinthia ? I think they are tarry- 
ing too long.” 

“ But the Bavarians do not tarry,” said Eliza, “ and they 
are savage and cruel men. I did not enter the town of 
Sterzing, but the people on the road told me how the Bava- 
rians killed, burned, and plundered there yesterday ; and 
those who told me cried with rage and grief. The whole 
town is in insurrection ; all have armed for the Emperor 
Francis, and will die rather than longer obey the Bavarians 
and French. Major von Barenklau, the commander of the 
Bavarians in Sterzing, finally got frightened ; and on being 
informed that Andreas Hofer was moving against him on one 
side with the men of the Passeyr valley, and that Anthony 
Wallner with the men of the Puster valley, on the other side, 
12 


172 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


had occupied the bridge of Laditch, he deemed it prudent to 
evacuate Sterzing and await our men in the open plain. I 
saw his troops marching through the valley while I was 
walking on the heights ; and I think it will not be long until 
we can see them below in the plain.” 

“ See, there they are already ! ” exclaimed Anthony Sie- 
berer, who, while Eliza was speaking, had spied with his keen 
eyes far into the plain called the Sterzinger Moos. 

In fact, a large, motley mass was to be seen moving up in 
the distance yonder ; yes, they were Bavarian soldiers, and 
they were drawing nearer and nearer. 

“ Hurrah ! the Bavarians are coming, the struggle begins,” 
exclaimed Anthony Sieberer, joyously ; and the Tyrolese en- 
camped below echoed his shout with loud exultation : “ The 
Bavarians are coming ! The struggle begins ! ” 

“The struggle begins,” said Hofer, “and God grant, in His 
mercy, that not too much blood may be shed, and that we 
may be victorious ! Come, dear girl, I will take you under 
my protection, for you cannot immediately set out for home, 
but must stay here with me. I shall see to it that no harm 
befalls you, and, while we are fighting, we will try to find a 
cave or nook in the rocks where we may conceal you.” 

“ I do not want to conceal myself, Andreas Hofer,” said 
Eliza, proudly. “ The priests and women have likewise to per- 
form their parts in war-times : they must carry the wounded 
out of the range of the enemy’s bullets and dress their 
wounds ; they must pray with the dying, and nurse those 
whose lives are spared.” 

u You are a brave daughter of the Tyrol ; I like to listen 
to your soul-stirring words,” exclaimed Andreas Hofer. “ Now 
come, we will speak with our men.” 

He grasped Eliza’s hand, beckoned to his adjutant Sieberer, 
and descended with them the path toward the Tyrolese. 

They were no longer reposing, but all had risen and were 
looking with rapt attention in the direction of the enemy. On 
beholding Hofer, they burst into loud cheers, and asked him 
enthusiastically to lead them against the enemy. 

“ Let us ascertain first where he is going, and what his in- 
tentions are,” said Hofer, thoughtfully. “Perhaps he does 


ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 


173 


not know that we are here, and intends to continue his march. 
In that case we will let him pass us, follow him, and attack 
him only after he has entered the Miihlbach pass.” 

“ No, he does not intend to continue his march,” exclaimed 
Sieberer. “ Look, he takes position in the plain and forms in 
squares as he has learned to do from Bonaparte. Oh, breth- 
ren, let us attack him now. Never fear. I know such 
squares, for, in 1805, 1 often attacked them with our men, and 
we broke them. Forward, then, my friends, forward ! Now 
let us fight for God and our emperor ! ” 

“ For God and our emperor ! ” shouted the Tyrolese ; and 
all seized their arms and prepared for the struggle. 

“ Hold on ! ” cried Hofer, in a powerful voice. “ As you 
have elected me commander, you must be obedient to me and 
comply with my orders.” 

“We will, we will !” shouted the Tyrolese. “Just tell us, 
commander, what we are to do, and we shall obey.” 

“ You shall not descend into the plain, nor attack the enemy 
on all sides. For you see, the squares are ready to shoot in all 
directions, and if you attack them on all sides in the open 
plain, you will be exposed to their most destructive fire ; more- 
over, as they are by far better armed than we, and have can- 
non, many of our men would be uselessly sacrificed in such an 
attack.” 

“ What the commander says is true,” growled the Tyrolese. 
“ It is by far better for us to attack the enemy from a covered 
position, and have our rear protected by the mountains.” 

“ And I will show you now such a covered position from 
which you are to attack the enemy,” said Andreas Hofer, with 
impressive calmness. “Look there, to the left. Do you see 
the ravine leading into the mountains yonder ? Well, we will 
now ascend the mountain-path rapidly, descend into the ravine, 
and thence rush upon the enemy.” 

“Yes, yes, that is right ! We will do so. Andreas Hofer 
is a good captain ! ” said the Tyrolese to each other. 

Hofer waved his hand imperatively toward them. “Now 
keep very quiet,” he said, “that we may not attract the atten- 
tion of the enemy prematurely, and thereby cause him to oc- 
cupy the ravine before we have reached it. Forward, then, 


174 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


quickly through the forest, and then descend noiselessly into 
the valley. But before setting out, we will pray two rosaries. 
If we long for success in battle, we must invoke God’s assist- 
ance.” 

He took his rosary and prayed ; and the Tyrolese bent their 
heads devoutly, and prayed like their commander. Then they 
glided quickly and i*oiselessly through the thick forest, headed 
by Andreas Hofer, who led Eliza Wallner with tender solici- 
tude by the hand. At length they reached the gorge, and 
Andreas Hofer was just about entering it with the others, 
when Anthony Sieberer, Jacob Eisenstocken, and a few other 
prominent Tyrolese, stepped to him and kept him back with 
tender violence. 

“ A general does not accompany his soldiers into the thick- 
est of the tight,” said Eisenstocken. “ That is not his province. 
He has to direct the battle with his head, but not to fight it 
out with his arm.” 

“ But hear in mind that Bonaparte does not leave his sol- 
diers even in battle,” said Andreas Hofer, trying to push them 
aside and advance. 

“No, dearest commander,” exclaimed Anthony Sieberer, 
“ you must not go down with the men. Think of it, what 
would become of us and our cause if an accident befell our 
commander and a bullet shattered his beloved head ! Our 
friends and sharpshooters would feel as though that bullet 
had shattered all their heads ; they would be discouraged and 
give up our cause as lost. No, no, Andreas Hofer, you owe it 
to your fatherland, your emperor, and your Tyrolese, not to 
expose yourself to too great dangers ; for your life is necessary 
to us, and you are the standard which the Tyrolese are follow- 
ing. If our standard sinks to the ground, our Tyrolese will be 
panic-stricken and run away. Consequently you must not go 
into battle, either to-day or at any time hereafter. ” 

“ You are right, I see it,” said Hofer, mournfully. “ They 
would be thunderstruck if a bullet should hit their com- 
mander ; hence I submit, and shall stay here. You will stay 
with me, Lizzie Wallner, and Ennemoser, my secretary, shall 
do so too. Now go, all of you, and God grant that we may 
all meet again. I shall stay at this very spot, and he who 


ON THE STERZINGER MOOS. 


175 


wants to see me must come hither. I can survey from here 
the whole plain of the Sterzinger Moos. Now, my dear 
friends and brethren,” he shouted in a loud, ringing voice, 
“ for God, the fatherland, and your emperor ! ” 

“ For God, the fatherland, and our emperor ! ” shouted the 
Tyrolese, rushing down the mountain-path into the ravine 
whence they were to attack the enemy. 

But the Bavarians had been on their guard, and their com- 
mander, Colonel Barenklau, divining the tactics of the Tyr- 
olese, had ordered his two guns to he pointed against the 
ravine. 

Now the first shots thundered from their mouths, and vol- 
leys of musketry were discharged from all the squares at the 
same time, at the advancing column of the Tyrolese. The 
Tyrolese, not prepared for so sudden and violent an attack, 
dismayed at the havoc produced in their ranks by the balls 
and bullets of the Bavarians, gave way and ran over the 
corpses of their brethren back to the ravine. But there stood 
the crowd of women who had accompanied the column, who 
had hastened up from Sterzing, and the whole neighborhood, 
and had advanced with the Tyrolese out of the ravine almost 
close to the squares of the enemy. They received the fugi- 
tives with invectives and angry glances ; they strove to kindle 
their courage ; they went and begged them with clasped hands 
and tearful eyes not to desert the cause of the fatherland, be- 
come discouraged in so disgraceful a manner in the very first 
battle, and thereby make themselves the laughing-stock of the 
hateful Bavarians and French. 

And the men listened to these voices ; they drank courage 
from the wine which the women handed to them, and rushed 
forward a second time. Their rifles crashed and mowed down 
the front ranks of the Bavarians, but behind the corpses stood 
the rear ranks, and their volleys responded to the Tyrolese, 
and the cannon thundered across the plain reeking with gore 
and powder. 

The Tyrolese gave way a second time, for the murderous 
fire of the Bavarians filled them with stupor and dismay 

“ In this manner we shall never gain a victory, and our 
men will be uselessly slaughtered,” said Andreas Hofer, who 


176 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


was watching the struggle with breathless suspense. “But we 
must not incur the disgrace of losing the first battle, for that 
would discourage our men for all time to come. Come, Enne- 
moser, run down to them and tell them to try a third time. 
If they do not, Andreas Hofer will rush all alone upon the 
enemy and wait for a bullet to shatter his head.” 

Young Ennemoser, the secretary, sped down the ravine ; 
Hofer pressed his crucifix to his lips and prayed ; Eliza Wall- 
ner advanced close to the edge of the precipice, and peered 
down into the plain. Her eyes filled with tears when she per- 
ceived the many corpses piled up on both sides of the ravine, 
hut the squares of the enemy likewise had been considerably 
thinned, and death had made fearful havoc in their ranks. 

“Andreas Hofer,” she cried, exultingly, “your message 
was successful. Our men are rushing forward. Do you not 
hear their cheers ? ” 

“ I do, and may the good God grant them success ! ” sighed 
Andreas Hofer, stepping close up to Eliza. 

They saw the Tyrolese emerging again at the double-quick 
from the ravine, and rushing upon the enemy, who received 
them with volleys of musketry and artillery-fire. But, alas ! 
they saw the Tyrolese give way again and retreat, though 
more slowly than before, to the ravine. 

“ This will never do,” cried Hofer, despairingly. “ Our men 
are slaughtered in this way, and cannot reach the enemy, 
whose cannon are mowing them down like scythes. O God, 
show me a way to help our men ! ” 

His eyes glanced despairingly over the plain, as if search- 
ing for relief. All at once a bright flash of joy lit up his 
features. 

“ I have found a way ! I thank Thee, my God ! ” he ex- 
claimed, aloud. “ See, Lizzie, look there ! What do you see 
in the plain yonder behind the ravine ? ” 

“ I see there four large wagons filled with hay,” said Lizzie ; 
“ yes, four wagons filled with hay, nothing else.” 

“ And these wagons filled with hay will save us. They 
must be driven toward the ravine directly toward the enemy ; 
our sharpshooters will conceal themselves behind them, and 
will safely advance ; and when close enough to the enemy, 


THE HAY-WAGONS. 


1 77 


they will discharge their rifles, and first pick off the gunners, 
in order to silence the guns which have made such havoc 
among our men. Come, Lizzie, we will go down to Sieberer 
and the other captains, and give them my orders. I hope 
there will he four lads intrepid enough to drive the hay- 
wagons toward the enemy.” 

“ There will be ! ” exclaimed Eliza, enthusiastically. 

“ It is only necessary for one to risk his life, and drive the 
first wagon. The other wagons will be covered by the first. 
But the driver of the first wagon will doubtless be killed, 
and I shall be responsible for his death.” 

“ He will die for the fatherland,” exclaimed Eliza. “ Go, 
Andreas Hofer, descend and tell our men what is to be done, 
for it is high time for the hay-wagons to come up and cover 
our men.” 

“ Come, let us go, Lizzie ; give me your hand.” 

“ No, lead the way ; I will follow you immediately.” 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE HAY-WAGONS. 

Andreas Hofer had already descended half the mountain- 
path with a rapid step, and he did not once look behind him, 
for he was sure that Wallner’s daughter was following him, 
and he kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on his friends and 
brethren. 

But Eliza did not follow him. She looked after him until 
the dense shrubbery below concealed her from his eyes ; then 
she knelt down, and, lifting both her hands to heaven, ex- 
claimed, in a loud, beseeching voice : u Holy Virgin, protect 
me ! Grant success to my enterprise for the beloved father- 
land !” 

She then jumped up, and, quick as a chamois, scarcely 
touching the ground with her feet, she hastened toward the 
point where the hay-wagons were standing. 

Meanwhile, Andreas Hofer had descended into the ravine 


178 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


whence constantly new crowds of Tyrolese were rushing for- 
ward, although they were driven back again and again by the 
murderous fire of the enemy. On beholding Hofer’s erect and 
imposing form, and his fine head, with the splendid long 
beard, the Tyrolese burst into loud cheers, and his presence 
seemed to inspire them with fresh courage. They advanced 
with the most intrepid impetuosity. Andreas Hofer called the 
brave captains of his sharpshooters to his side, and communi- 
cated to them briefly the stratagem he had devised. 

“ That is a splendid and very shrewd idea,” said Anthony 
Sieberer. 

“ The hay- wagon is your Trojan horse with which, like 
Ulysses, you will conquer your Troy,” exclaimed the learned 
Ennemoser, Hofer’s young secretary. 

“ I do not know where Troy is situated,” said Andreas 
Hofer, quietly, “ but I know where the Sterzinger Moos lies, 
and what should be done there. For the rest, there are no 
horses before the hay- wagons, but oxen, and it is all-impor- 
tant that the gunners should not immediately hit the driver of 
the first wagon.” 

“ But his last hour has surely come, and he may rely on 
going to paradise to-day ! ” exclaimed Ennemoser. “ But 
look, what throng is yonder in the ravine, and what causes 
the women to shout so vociferously ? Their shouts sound like 
triumphant cheers. And the lads now join in the acclama- 
tions too, and all are rushing forward so impetuously.” 

Indeed, the whole mass of men and women assembled in 
the rear of the ravine rushed forward with loud shouts, like a 
single immense wave, surging with extraordinary impetuosity 
up to Andreas Hofer and the captains standing by his side. 

All at once this wave parted, and in the midst of all this 
eager, shouting throng, which took position on both sides of 
the ravine, appeared two of those broad-horned, brown red 
oxen, of a beauty, majesty, and strength such as can be found 
only in the Tyrol and in Switzerland. Behind these two oxen 
came the wagon filled up with bay. 

But who drove the hay- wagon ? Was it really the lovely 
young girl hanging on the back of the ox — the beautiful 
creature whose face was radiant with enthusiasm, whose 


THE HAY-WAGONS. 179 

cheeks were glowing like the morning sun, and whose eyes 
flashed like stars ? 

Yes, it was she — it was Eliza Wallner, who, with sublime 
courage, had mounted the back of the ox, and who now was 
driving forward with loud shouts and lashes of the whip the 
two animals, frightened by the crowd and the shots crashing 
incessantly. 

“Eliza Wallner!” cried Andreas Hofer, with an air of 
dismay, as the heavily-laden wagon rolled more rapidly for- 
ward. 

She turned her head toward him, and a wondrous smile 
illuminated her face. “ Send greetings to my dear father ! ” 
she exclaimed. “ Send greetings to him in my name, if I 
should die.” 

“ I cannot allow her to do it— it is certain death ! ” cried 
Andreas Hofer, anxiously. “ Let me go and lift her from the 
ox.” 

“ No, no, Andreas,” said Anthony Sieberer. “ Let her pro- 
ceed. The intrepidity of this young girl will fire the courage 
of the lads; and, for the rest, if lives have to be sacrificed, the 
life of a girl is not worth any more than that of a lad. We 
are all in God’s hand.” 

“ May God and His heavenly host protect her ! ” said An- 
dreas Hofer, laying his hand on the image of St. George, 
w r hich adorned his breast. 

“ Now, boys,” shouted Anthony Sieberer, “ do not allow the 
girl to make you blush. Quick, march behind the hay-wagon, 
and when you are close enough to the enemy, step forward 
and shoot down the gunners.” 

Ten young lads hastened forward, amid loud cheers, and 
took position in pairs behind the wagon, which advanced 
heavily and slowly, like an enormous avalanche. 

There was a breathless silence. All eyes followed the 
wagon, all hearts throbbed and addressed to heaven prayers 
in behalf of the courageous girl who was driving it. 

Suddenly a cry of horror burst from all lips. A cannon- 
ball had struck the hay- wagon, which was shaking violently 
from the tremendous shock. 

But now a ringing cheer was heard in front of the wagon. 


180 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


By this cheer Eliza Wallner announced to the Tyrolese that 
the ball had not hit her, and that she was uninjured. 

The cannon boomed again, and Eliza’s ringing voice an- 
nounced once more that the balls had penetrated harmlessly 
into the closely compressed hay. 

Meanwhile the wagon rolled out farther and farther into 
the plain of the Sterzinger Moos. Even the oxen seemed to 
be infected with the heroism of their fair driver, and trotted 
more rapidly toward the enemy, whose balls whistled round 
them without hitting them. 

Suddenly Eliza stopped their courageous trot, and, turning 
back her head, she shouted : “ Forward now, boys ! Do not 
be afraid of the Bavarian dumplings. They do not hit us, 
and we do not swallow them as hot as the Bavarians send 
them to us ! ” 

The young sharpshooters concealed behind the wagon re- 
plied to Eliza, amid merry laughter : “No, we are not afraid 
of the Bavarian dumplings, but we are going to pick off the 
cooks that send them to us.” 

And with their rifles lifted to their cheeks, five sharp- 
shooters rushed forward on either side of their green bul- 
wark. Before the Bavarians had time to aim at the ten dar- 
ing sharpshooters, the latter raised their rifles and fired, and 
the gunners fell dead by the sides of their guns. 

The Bavarians uttered loud shouts of fury, and aimed at 
the sharpshooters ; but the Tyrolese had already disappeared 
again, whistling and cheering, behind the wagon, which was 
still advancing toward the enemy. 

The other hay-wagons now rolled likewise from the ra- 
vine. The first of them was driven by another young girl. 
Imitating the heroic example set by Eliza Wallner, Anna Gam- 
per, daughter of a tailor of Sterzing, had courageously mounted 
the back of an ox, and drove forward the wagon, filled with 
an enormous quantity of hay. Twenty young sharpshooters, 
encouraged by the success of their comrades, followed this 
second wagon. Behind them came the third and fourth wag- 
ons, followed by twenty or thirty more sharpshooters, who 
were well protected by the broad bulwark which the wagons 
formed in front of them. 


S HAY-WAGONS. 


181 


The gum 1 fallen ; hence the cannon no longer 

thundered or Cc ,ed destruction and death into the ranxs of 
the Tyrolese ; only the musketry of the Bavarians was still 
rattling, but they only hit the hay, and not the brave girls 
driving the oxen, nor the sharpshooters, who, concealed be- 
hind the hay, rushed from their covert whenever the enemy 
had fired a volley, raised their rifles triumphantly, and struck 
down a Bavarian at every shot. 

All four hay-wagons had now driven up close enough, and 
the Tyrolese, who were nearly one hundred strong, burst with 
cheers from behind them, and rushing forward in loose array, 
but with desperate resolution, using the butt-ends of their 
rifles, fell with savage impetuosity upon the Bavarians, who 
were thunderstruck at this unexpected and sudden attack. 

Loud cheers also resounded from the ravine. The whole 
force of the Tyrolese advanced at the double-quick to assist 
their brethren in annihilating the enemy. 

A violent struggle, a fierce hand-to-hand fight now ensued. 
The Bavarians, overwhelmed by the terrible onset of the peas- 
ants, gave way ; the squares dissolved ; and the soldiers, as if 
paralyzed with terror, had neither courage nor strength left 
to avoid the furious butt-end blows of the peasants. 

Vainly did Colonel von Barenklau strive to reform his 
lines ; vainly did those who had rallied round him at his 
command, make a desperate effort to force their way through 
the ranks of the infuriated Tyrolese. The fierce bravery of 
the latter overcame all resistance, and rendered their escape 
impossible. 

“ Surrender ! ” thundered Andreas Hofer to the Bavarians. 
“ Lay down your arms, and surrender at discretion ! ” 

A cry of rage burst from the pale lips of Colonel von Bar- 
enklau, and he would have rushed upon the impudent peas- 
ants who dared to fasten such a disgrace upon him. But his 
own men kept him back. 

“ We do not want to be slaughtered,” they cried, perfectly 
beside themselves with terror ; “ we will surrender, we will 
lay down our arms ! ” 

A deathly pallor overspread the cheeks of the unfortunate 
officer. 


182 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Do so, then,” he cried. “ Surrender yourselves and me 
to utter dishonor ! I am no longer able to restrain you from 
it.” 

And with a sigh resembling the groan of a dying man, 
Colonel von Barenklau fainted away, exhausted by the ter- 
rible exertion and the loss of blood which was rushing from 
a gunshot wound on his neck. 

“We surrender ! ” We are ready to lay down our arms ! ” 
shouted the Bavarians to the Tyrolese, who were still thin- 
ning their ranks by the deadly fire of their rifles and their 
terrible butt-end blows. 

“ Very well, lay down your arms,” cried Andreas Hofer, in 
a powerful voice. “ Stop, Tyrolese ! If they surrender, no- 
body shall hurt a hair of their heads, for then they are no 
longer our enemies, but our brethren. — Lay down your arms, 
Bavarians ! ” 

The Tyrolese, obedient to the orders of their commander, 
stopped the furious slaughter, and gazed with gloomy eyes at 
their hated enemies. 

There was a moment of breathless silence, and then the 
Bavarian officers were heard to command in tremulous 
voices, “ Lay down your arms ! ” 

And their men obeyed readily. Three hundred and eighty 
soldiers, and nine officers, laid down their arms here on the 
plain of the Sterzinger Moos, and surrendered at discretion to 
the Tyrolese.* 

On seeing this, the Tyrolese burst into loud cheers, and 
Andreas Hofer lifted his beaming eyes to hpaven. “ I thank 
Thee, Lord God,” he said ; “ with Thy assistance we have 
achieved a victory. It is the first love-offering which we pre- 
sent to fatherland and our Emperor Francis.” 

“ Long live the Tyrol and our Emperor Francis ! ” shouted 
the Tyrolese, enthusiastically. 

The Bavarians stood silent, with downcast eyes and pale 
faces, while the active Tyrolese lads hastily collected the arms 
they had laid down and placed them on one of the wagons, 
from which they had quickly removed the hay. 

“ What is to be done with our prisoners, the Bavarians ? ” 
* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 31. 


THE HAY-WAGONS. 


183 


said Anthony Sieberer to Andreas Hofer. “We cannot take 
them with us.” 

“ No, we cannot, nor will the enemy give us time for doing 
so,” replied Hofer. “ Anthony Wallner has informed me that 
a strong corps of Bavarians and French is approaching in the 
direction of the Miihlbacher Klause. They must not meet us 
here on the plain, for a fight under such circumstances would 
manifestly he to our disadvantage. They would be a great 
deal stronger here than we. But in the mountains we are 
able to overcome them. They are the fortresses which the 
good God built for our country ; and when the enemy passes, 
we shall attack and defeat him.” 

“ And shall we take the prisoners with us into the moun- 
tains, commander ? ” 

“No, we will not, for we cannot guard them well up there, 
and they would escape. We will not take the prisoners with 
us, but convey them to the Baroness von Sternberg at Castle 
Steinach. She is ardently devoted to our cause, and loves 
the Tyrol and the emperor. She will take care of the pris- 
oners, and they will be unable to escape from the large tower, 
the Wolfsthurm, on the crest yonder, which you can see from 
here.” 

“ But who is to convey the prisoners to Castle Steinach ? 
Are we all to march thither and deliver them before advanc- 
ing farther ? ” 

“ No, no, Anthony Sieberer ; we have not time for that. 
We must bury the corpses here quickly, and remove every 
trace of the contest, in order that the French, on arriving 
here, may not discover what has occurred, and that we are 
close by. Only thirty of our men shall escort the prisoners to 
Castle Steinach.” 

“ Only thirty, commander ? Will that be sufficient for 
three hundred and eighty prisoners ? If they should attack 
our men on the road, they would beat them, for they would 
be twelve to one.” 

“ That is true,” said Andreas Hofer in confusion ; “ what 
are we to do to get a stronger escort for the prisoners ? ” 

He stroked his beard nervously, as was his wont in 
moments of great excitement, and he glanced uneasily, 


184 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


now here, now there. All at once a smile illuminated his 
face. 

“ I have got it,” he said merrily. “ Look there, Sieberer, 
look there. What do you see there ? ” 

“The women who have accompanied us, and who are 
kissing Eliza Wallner and Anna Gamper for their heroic con- 
duct.” 

“ The women shall help our thirty sharpshooters to escort 
the prisoners to Castle Steinach. Our women have brave 
hearts and strong arms, and they know how to use the rifle 
for the fatherland and the emperor. Let them, then, take 
some of the arms which we have conquered, and, jointly 
with thirty of our men, escort the prisoners to the good 
Baroness von Sternberg. Oh, Lizzie Wallner, Lizzie Wall- 
ner ! ” 

“ Here I am, commander,” cried Eliza, hastening to An- 
dreas Hofer with flushed cheeks and beaming eyes. 

He patted her cheeks smilingly. “ You are a brave, noble 
girl,” he said, “and none of us will ever forget what you 
have done to day ; and the whole Tyrol shall learn what a 
splendid and intrepid girl you are. But I wish to confer a 
special reward on you, Lizzie ; I wish to appoint you captain 
of a company, and your company is to consist of all those 
women.” 

“ And what does the commander-in-chief order me to do 
with my company of women ?” asked Eliza Wallner. 

“ Captain Lizzie, you are to escort with your company and 
thirty Tyrolese sharpshooters the three hundred and eighty 
Bavarians to Castle Steinach. Your arms you will take from 
the wagon yonder, which Captain Lizzie drove so heroically 
toward the enemy. Will you undertake to escort the prison- 
ers safely to Steinach ? ” 

“ I will, commander. But after that I should like to return 
to my father. He must be uneasy about me by this time, and 
he would like also to know how the Tyrolese have succeeded 
on this side. Oh ! he will be exceedingly glad when I bring 
him greetings from his beloved Andreas Hofer.” 

“ Go, then, my dear child,” said Andreas Hofer, nodding to 
her tenderly, and laying his hand on her beautiful head. 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


185 


“ Go, with God’s blessing, and greet your father in my name. 
Tell him that God and the Holy Virgin are with us and have 
blessed our cause ; therefore we will never despond, but al- 
ways fight bravely and cheerfully for our liberty and our dear 
emperor. Go, Lizzie ; escort the prisoners to Steinach, and 
then return to your father.” 

Eliza kissed his hand ; then left him and communicated 
Andreas Hofer’s order to the women. They received it joy- 
ously, and hastened to the wagon to get the arms. 

Half an hour afterward a strange procession was seen 
moving along the road leading to Castle Steinach. A long 
column of soldiers, without arms, with heads bent down and 
gloomy faces, marched on the road. On both sides of them 
walked the women, with heads erect, and proud, triumphant 
faces, each shouldering a musket or a sword. Here and there 
marched two Tyrolese sharpshooters, who were watching 
with the keen and distrustful eyes of shepherds’ dogs the sol- 
diers marching in their midst. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 

General Kinkel, governor of Innspruck, had just finished 
his dinner, and repaired to his cabinet, whither he had sum- 
moned some of the superior officers to give them fresh instruc- 
tions. To-day, the 11th of April, all sorts of news had ar- 
rived from the Tyrol ; and although this news did not alarm 
the Bavarian general, he thought it nevertheless somewhat 
strange and unusual. He had learned that Lieutenant-Colonel 
von Wreden, despite General Kinkel’s express orders, had 
rashly evacuated his position at Brunecken and destroyed the 
bridge of Laditch. Besides, vague rumors had reached him 
about an insurrection among the peasants in the neighborhood 
of Innspruck ; and even on the surrounding mountains, it 
was said, bands of armed insurgents had been seen. 

“We have treated these miserable peasants by far too leni- 
ently and kindly,” said General Kinkel, with a shrug, when 


186 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


his officer communicated this intelligence to him. “We 
shall adopt a more rigorous course, make examples of a few, 
and all will be quiet and submissive again. What do these 
peasants want? Are they already so arrogant as to think 
themselves capable of coping with our brave regular troops ? ” 

“ They count upon the assistance of Austria,” replied Colo- 
nel Dittfurt ; “ and General von Chasteler is said to have 
promised the peasants that he will invade the Tyrol one of 
these days.” 

“ It is a miserable lie ! ” cried the general, with a disdainful 
smile. “The Austrians will not he so hold as to take the 
offensive, for they know full well that the great Emperor Na- 
poleon will consider every invasion of Bavarian territory an 
attack upon France herself, and that we ourselves should 
drive the impudent invaders from our mountains.” 

“ That is to say, so long as the mountains are still ours, and 
not yet occupied by the peasants, your excellency,” said Major 
Beim, who entered the room at this moment. 

“ What do you mean ? ” asked the general. 

“ I mean that larger and larger bands of peasants are ad- 
vancing upon Innspruck, that they have already attacked and 
driven in our pickets, and that the latter have just escaped 
from them into the city.” 

“ Then it is time for us to resort to energetic and severe 
steps,” cried General Kinkel, angrily. “ Colonel Dittfurt, send 
immediately a dispatch to Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden, 
who is stationed at Brixen. W rite to him in my name that I am 
highly indignant at his evacuating his position at Brunecken 
and destroying the bridge of Laditch. Tell him I order him 
to act with the utmost energy ; every peasant arrested with 
arms in his hands is to be shot ; every village participating in 
the insurrection is to be burned down ; and he is to advance 
his patrols again to and beyond Brunecken. These patrols 
are to ascertain if Austrian troops are really following the in- 
surgent peasants. Bring this dispatch to me that I may sign 
it, and then immediately send off a courier with it to Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel von Wreden.” * 

* General Kinkel sent off this dispatch a day after Wreden had been de- 
feated by the Tyrolese, and after the Austrians had invaded the Tyrol. The 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


187 


Colonel Dittfurt went to the desk and commenced writing 
the dispatch. “ Miserable peasants ! ” he murmured, on hand- 
ing the dispatch to the general ; “ it is already a humiliation 
that we must devote attention to them and occupy ourselves 
with them.” 

“ Yes, you are right,” sighed the general, signing the dis- 
patch ; “ these people, who know only how to handle the flail, 
become every day more impudent and intolerable ; and I am 
really glad that I shall now at length have an opportunity to 
humiliate them and reduce them to obedience. Henceforth 
we will no longer spare them. No quarter ! He who is 
taken sword in hand, will be executed on the spot. We must 
nip this insurrection in the bud, and chastise the traitors with 
inexorable rigor. Well, what is it?” he asked vehemently, 
turning to the orderly who entered the room at this moment. 

“ Your excellency, I have to inform you that all our pickets 
have been driven into the city. The peasants have assembled 
in large masses on the neighboring mountains and opened 
thence a most murderous fire upon our pickets. Only a few 
men of each picket have returned ; the others lie dead outside 
the city.” 

“ Matters seem to become serious,” murmured General 
Kinkel. “ All our pickets driven in ! That is to say, then, 
the peasants are in the immediate neighborhood of the city ? ” 

“ All the environs of Innspruck are in full insurrection, 
your excellency, and the citizens of Innspruck seem likewise 
strongly inclined to join the insurrection. There are riotous 
groups in the streets, and on my way hither I heard all sorts 
of menacing phrases, and met everywhere with sullen, defiant 
faces.” 

“ Ah, I will silence this seditious rabble and make their 
faces mild and modest ! ” cried the general, in a threatening 
voice. “ Let all the public places in the city be occupied by 
troops, and field-pieces be placed on the bridges of the Inn. 
Let patrols march through the streets all night, and every 
citizen who is found in the street after nine o’clock, or keeps 
his house lighted up after that hour, shall be shot. Make 

Bavarian authorities at Innspruck were in complete ignorance of all these 
events. 


13 


188 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


haste, gentlemen, and carry my orders literally into execution. 
Have the patrols call upon all citizens to keep quiet and not 
appear in the streets after nine o’clock. Sentence of death 
will be passed upon those who violate this order.” 

Owing to these orders issued by the general, a profound 
stillness reigned at night in the streets of Innspruck ; no one 
was to be seen in the streets, and on marching through them 
the patrols did not find a single offender whom they might 
have subjected to the inexorable rigor of martial law. But 
no sooner had the patrols turned round a corner than dark 
forms emerged here and there from behind the pillars of the 
houses, the wells, and the crucifixes, glided with the noiseless 
agility of cats along the houses, and knocked here and there 
at the window-panes. The windows opened softly, whispers 
were heard and the rustling of paper, and the forms glided on 
to commence the same working and whispering at the next 
house. 

The Bavarian patrols had no inkling of these dark ravens 
flitting everywhere behind them, as if scenting in them al- 
ready the prey of death ; but the citizens of Innspruck con- 
sidered these birds of the night, who knocked at their windows, 
auspicious doves, even though, instead of the olive-branch, 
they brought only a sheet of paper with them. But this sheet 
of paper contained words that thrilled all hearts with joy and 
happiness ; it announced that the Austrians had already in- 
vaded the Tyrol ; that General von Chasteler was already ad- 
vancing upon Innspruck ; that the Emperor Francis sent the 
Tyrolese the greetings of his love ; and that the Archduke 
John was preventing the French troops in Italy from succor- 
ing the Bavarians in the Tyrol ; nay, that he and his army 
would deliver and protect the Tyrol. Some of the brave 
sharpshooters of the Passeyr valley had been bold enough to 
steal into the city of Innspruck despite the presence of the 
Bavarian troops, and the patrols could not prevent the citizens 
from receiving the joyful tidings of the approach of the Aus- 
trians, nor the Tyrolese sharpshooters from whispering to 
them : “ Be ready early to-morrow morning. To-morrow we 
shall attack the city ; assist us then, hurl down from the roofs 
of your houses on the Bavarians stones, jars, and whatever 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


189 


you may have at hand ; keep your doors open, that we may 
get in, and hold food and refreshments in readiness. We 
shall come to-morrow. Innspruck must be delivered from 
the Bavarians to-morrow ! ” 

The morrow came at last. The 12th of April dawned upon 
the city of Innspruck. 

The Bavarians had carried out the orders of General Kin- 
kel ; they had occupied all the public places, and planted bat- 
teries on the bridges of the Inn. 

But so ardent was the enthusiasm of the Tyrolese, that 
these batteries did not deter them. They rushed forward with 
loud shouts ; using their spears, halberds, and the butt-ends of 
their muskets, they fell with resistless impetuosity upon the 
Bavarians, drove them back, shot the gunners at the guns, and 
carried the important bridge of Miihlau. 

Tremendous cheers announced this first victory to the in- 
habitants of Innspruck. The Tyrolese then rushed forward 
over the bridge and penetrated into the streets of the Hot- 
tin ger suburb. The street-doors of the houses opened to them ; 
they entered them, or took position behind the pillars, and 
fired from the windows and their hiding-places, at the Bavari- 
ans who were stationed on the upper bridge of the Inn, and 
were firing thence at the Tyrolese. The Bavarian bullets, 
however, whistled harmlessly through the streets, the alert 
Tyrolese concealing themselves, before every volley, in the 
houses or behind the walls. But no sooner had the bullets 
dropped than they stepped forward, sang, and laughed, and 
discharged their rifles, until the exasperated Bavarians fired 
at them again, when the singing Tyrolese disappeared once 
more in their hiding-places. 

All at once loud cheers and hurrahs resounded on the con- 
quered bridge of Miihlau, and a tall, heroic form, surrounded 
by a detachment of armed Tyrolese, appeared on the bridge. 

It was Joseph Speekbacher, who, after capturing Hall by a 
daring coup de main , had now arrived with his brave men 
to assist the Tyrolese in delivering Innspruck from the Ba- 
varians. 

The Tyrolese thronged exultingly around him, informing 
him of the struggle that had already taken place, and telling 


190 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


him that the Bavarians had been driven from the bridge and 
hurled back into the city. 

“ And now you stand still here, instead of advancing ? ” 
asked Speckbacher, casting fiery glances toward the enemy. 
“ What are you waiting for, my friends ? Why do you not 
attack the enemy ? ” 

Without waiting for a reply, Speckbacher took off his hat, 
swung it in the air, and shouted in a loud, enthusiastic voice : 
“ Long live the Emperor Francis ! Down with the Bavari- 
ans ! ” 

All repeated this shout amid the most tumultuous cheers. 
All cried, “ Long live the Emperor Francis ! Down with the 
Bavarians ! ” 

“Now forward ! forward ! We must take the bridge !” 
shouted Speckbacher. “ Those who love the Tyrol will follow 
me !” 

And he rushed forward, like an angry bear, toward the 
bridge of the Inn. 

The Tyrolese, carried away by their enthusiasm, followed 
him at the double-quick toward the bridge, where the mouths 
of the cannon were staring at them menacingly. But the 
Tyrolese were not afraid of the cannon ; death had no longer 
any terrors for them ! their courage imparted to them resist- 
less power and impetuosity. They rushed up to the cannon, 
slew the gunners with the butt-ends of their rifles, or lifted 
them up by the hair and hurled them over the railing of the 
bridge into the foaming waters of the Inn. Then they turned 
the cannon, and some students from Innspruck, who had 
joined the Tyrolese, undertook to man them. 

A dense column of Bavarians advanced upon them ; the 
peasants uttered loud cheers, the cannon thundered and 
mowed down whole ranks of them. They gave way, and the 
Tyrolese, who saw it, advanced with triumphant shouts into 
the city and took street after street. And wherever they 
came, they met with willing assistance at the hands of the 
citizens ; in every street which they entered, the windows 
opened, and shots were fired from them at the Bavarian 
troops ; every house became a fortress, every tower a citadel. 
A frightful scene ensued : the Bavarians in some places sur- 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


191 


rendered and begged for quarter ; in others they continued 
the combat with undaunted resolution ; and in the melee sev- 
eral bloody deeds were committed, which, in their cooler mo- 
ments, the Tyrolese would have been the first to condemn. 

All at once loud cheers burst forth in the streets, and the 
Tyrolese repeated again and again the joyful news : “ Major 
Teimer has arrived ; he has several companies of the militia 
under his command, and with these brave men he has already 
penetrated into the heart of the city, up to the principal guard- 
house ! He has already surrounded the Engelhaus , General 
Kinkel’s headquarters, and is negotiating a capitulation with 
the general.” This almost incredible intelligence raised the 
enthusiasm of the Tyrolese to the highest pitch. They rushed 
forward with irresistible impetuosity toward the barracks and 
disarmed all the soldiers who had remained there in order to 
relieve their exhausted comrades. Then they rushed again 
into the street, toward the principal guard-house, where an 
obstinate struggle was going on. There, at the head of his 
regiment, stood Colonel Dittfurt, firmly determined to die 
rather than surrender to the peasants. 

But the peasants came up in overwhelming numbers, and 
a detachment of sharpshooters, headed by Major Teimer, had 
already penetrated into the general’s house, and entered his 
sitting-room. From the houses all around, the Tyrolese were 
firing at the soldiers, who, gnashing their teeth with rage and 
grief, did not even enjoy the satisfaction of wreaking venge- 
ance on them ; for their enemies were concealed behind the 
walls and pillars, while the soldiers were defenceless, and had 
to allow themselves to be laid prostrate by the unerring aim 
of the sharpshooters. 

Angry, scolding, imperious voices were now heard at Gen- 
eral Kinkel’s window, and a strange sight was presented to the 
eyes of the dismayed soldiers. Teimer’s face, flushed with 
anger and excitement, appeared at the window. He was seen 
approaching it hastily and thrusting General Kinkel’s head 
and shoulders forcibly out of it. 

“ Surrender ! ” threatened Teimer ; “ surrender, or I shall 
hurl you out of the window !” 

* Hormayr’s “ History of Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 249. 


192 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Colonel Dittfurt,” cried General Kinkel, in a doleful 
voice, “you see that further resistance is useless. We must 
surrender ! ” 

“ No ! ” shouted the colonel, pale with rage ; “ no, we shall 
not surrender ; no, we shall not incur the disgrace of laying 
down our arms before this ragged mob. We can die, but 
shall not surrender ! Forward, my brave soldiers, forward ! ” 

And Dittfurt rushed furiously, followed by his soldiers, 
upon the Tyrolese who were approaching at this moment. 
Suddenly he reeled back. Two bullets had hit him at the 
same time, and the blood streamed from two wounds. But 
these wounds, instead of paralyzing his courage, inflamed it 
still more. He overcame his pain and weakness, and, bran- 
dishing his sword, rushed forward. 

A third bullet whistled up and penetrated his breast. He 
sank down ; blood streamed from his mouth and his nose. 
The Tyrolese burst into deafening cheers, and approached the 
fallen officer to take his sword from him. But he sprang 
once more to his feet ; he would not fall alive into the hands 
of the peasants ; he felt that he had to die, but he would die 
like a soldier on the field of honor, and not as a prisoner of 
the peasants. Livid as a corpse, his face covered with gore, 
his uniform saturated with blood, Dittfurt reeled forward, and 
drove his soldiers, with wild imprecations, entreaties, and 
threats toward the hospital, whence the Tyrolese poured their 
murderous fire into the ranks of the Bavarians. But scarcely 
had he advanced a few steps when a fourth bullet struck him 
and laid him prostrate. 

His regiment, seized with dismay, shouted out that it would 
surrender, and, in proof of this intention, the soldiers laid 
down their arms. 

The Bavarian cavalry, to avoid the disgrace of such a ca- 
pitulation, galloped in wild disorder toward the gate and the 
Hofgarten. But there Speckbacher had taken position with 
the peasants, who, mostly armed only with pitchforks, had 
hurried to the scene of the combat from the immediate en- 
virons of Inspruck. But these pitchforks seemed to the pan- 
ic-stricken cavalry to be terrible, murderous weapons ; can- 
non would have appeared to them less dreadful than the 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


193 


glittering pitchforks, with which the shouting peasants rushed 
upon them, and which startled not only the soldiers but their 
horses also. The soldiers thought the wounds made by pitch- 
forks more horrible and ignominious than utter defeat, and 
even death. Thunderstruck at their desperate position, hardly 
knowing what befell them, unable to offer further resistance, 
they allowed themselves to be torn from their horses by the 
peasants, to whom they handed their arms in silence. The 
Tyrolese then mounted the horses, and in a triumphant pro- 
cession, headed by Joseph Speckbacher, they conducted their 
prisoners back to Innspruck.* 

There the enemy had likewise surrendered in the mean 
time, and the barracks which, until yesterday, had been the 
quarters of the oppressors of the Tyrolese, the Bavarian sol- 
diers, became now the prisons of the defeated. Escorted by 
the peasants, the disarmed and defenceless Bavarians were 
hurried into the barracks, whose doors closed noisily behind 
them. 

Innspruck was now free ; not an armed Bavarian soldier 
remained in the city, but the Tyrolese, to the number of up- 
ward of fifteen thousand, poured into the streets, and the citi- 
zens joined them exultingly, and thanked the courageous 
peasants for delivering them from the foreign yoke. The 
city, which for three hours had been a wild scene of terror, 
havoc, bloodshed, and death, resounded now at the hour of 
mid-day with cheers and exultation ; nothing was heard but 
hurrahs, songs, and cheers for the Emperor Francis and the 
beloved Tyrol. 

Every minute added to the universal joy. The victorious 
Tyrolese, mounted on the horses of the Bavarian cavalry, and 
headed by the proud and triumphant Speckbacher and a rural 
band of music, appeared with their prisoners. Two badly- 
tuned violins, two shrill fifes, two iron pot-lids, and several 
jews’-harps, were the instruments of this band. But the 
musicians tried to make as much noise with them as possible, 
and the citizens considered their music sweeter and finer than 
the splendid tunes which the bands of the Bavarian regiments 
had played to them up to this time. 

* Hormayr’s “ History of Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 250. 


194 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


New cheers rent the air at this moment. A squad of peas* 
ants brought the great imperial eagle, which they had taken 
Town from the tomb of Maximilian in the High Church of 
!nnspruck. They had decorated it with red ribbons, and 
carried it amid deafening acclamations through the streets. 
On beholding the eagle of Austria, the excited masses set no 
bounds to their rejoicings ; they flocked in crowds to gaze at 
it ; citizens and peasants vied in manifesting their devotion to 
the precious emblem ; they blessed it and kissed it. No one 
was permitted to stay a long while near it, for the impatience 
of his successor compelled him to pass on. But an aged man, 
with silvery hair, but with a form still vigorous and unbent, 
would not allow himself to be pushed on in this manner. An 
hour ago he had fought like a lion in the ranks of the Tyro- 
lese, and anger and rage had flashed from his face ; but now, 
at the sight of the Austrian eagle, he was as mild and gentle 
as a lamb, and only love and blissful emotion beamed from 
his face. He encircled the eagle with both his arms, kissed 
the two heads and gilded crowns, and, stroking the carved 
plumes tenderly, exclaimed : “Well, old eagle, have your 
plumes really grown again ? Have you returned to the loyal 
Tyrol to stay here for all time to come ? Will — ” 

Loud cheers interrupted him at this moment. Another 
crowd of Tyrolese came up the street, preceded by four peas- 
ants, who were carrying two portraits in fine golden frames. 
Deafening acclamations rent the air as soon as the people be- 
held these two portraits. Everybody recognized them as those 
of the Emperor Francis and the Archduke John. The peas- 
ants had found them in the old imperial palace. 

“ Long live the Emperor Francis ! Long live our Archduke 
John ! ” shouted the people in the streets, and in the houses 
which the procession passed on its march through the city. 
Even the Austrian eagle, which had been greeted so tenderly, 
was forgotten at the sight of the two portraits, and all accom- 
panied this solemn procession of love and loyalty. 

This procession moved through the whole city until it 
finally reached the triumphal arch which Maria Theresa had 
ordered to be erected in honor of the wedding of her son Leo- 
pold. The Tyrolese placed the portraits of Leopold’s two sons 


CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 


195 


on this triumphal arch, and surrounded them by candles kept 
constantly burning ; every one then bent his knee, and ex- 
claimed : “Long live the Emperor Francis! Long live our 
dear Archduke John !” Woe uuto him who should have 
dared to pass these portraits without taking off his hat ! the 
Tyrolese would have compelled him to do it, and to bend his 
knee. 

“Well,” they exclaimed, “ there is our Francis, and there is 
our John. Look, does it not seem as though he were smiling 
at us, and were glad of being here again and able to gaze at 
us ? Long live our dear Archduke John ! ” 

And they again burst into cheers which, if the Archduke 
John had been able to hear them, would have filled his heart 
with delight and his eyes with tears. 

These rejoicings around the eagle and the portraits lasted 
all day. The whole city presented a festive spectacle, and the 
overjoyed Tyrolese scarcely thought to-day of eating and 
drinking, much less of the dangers which might menace them. 
They sang, and shouted, and laughed ; and when night came 
they sank down exhausted by the efforts of the fight, and still 
more by their boundless rejoicings, to the ground where 
they were standing, in the streets, in the gardens, in the fields, 
and fell asleep. 

Profound silence reigned now in the streets of Innspruck. 
It was dark everywhere ; bright lights beamed only from the 
portraits of the emperor and the Archduke John ; and the 
stars of heaven looked down upon the careless and happy 
sleepers, the victors of Innspruck. 

They slept, dreaming of victory and happiness. Woe to 
them if they sleep too long and awake too late, for the ene- 
my does not sleep ! He is awake and approaching, while 
the victors are sleeping. 


196 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 

The Tyrolese were were still asleep, and profound stillness 
reigned yet in the streets of Innspruck, although it was already 
after daybreak, and the first rays of the rising sun shed a crim- 
son lustre on the summits of the mountains. All at once this 
silence was broken by a strange, loud, and plaintive note which 
seemed to resound in the air ; it was followed by a second and 
third note ; and, as if responding to these distant calls, the 
large hell of the High Church of Innspruck aroused with its 
ringing voice the weary sleepers to renewed efforts. 

They raised themselves from the ground ; they listened, 
still drowsy, to these strange notes in the air. Suddenly two 
horsemen galloped through the streets, and their clarion voices 
struck the ears of the Tyrolese. 

“ Up, sleepers ! ” cried Joseph Speckbacher ; “do you not 
hear the tocsin ? Rise, rise, take your rifles ! the French and 
Bavarians are at the gates of the city, and we must meet them 
again.” 

“ Rise, Tyrolese ! ” shouted Major Teimer ; “ the French 
and Bavarians are coming. We must prevent them from 
penetrating into Innspruck. We must barricade the gates, 
and erect barricades in the streets.” 

The Tyrolese jumped up, fresh, lively, and ready for the 
fray. Their sleep had strengthened them, and yesterday’s vic- 
tory had steeled their courage. The enemy was there, and 
they were ready to defeat him a second time. 

The bells of all the churches of Innspruck were now rung, 
and those of the neighboring village steeples responded to 
them. They called upon the able-bodied men to take up arms 
against the enemy, whose advanced guard could be seen al- 
ready on the crests yonder. Yes, there was no mistake about 
it : those men were the French and Bavarians, who were de- 
scending the slope and approaching in strong columns. 

A Tyrolese rushed into the city. “ The French are com- 
ing ! ” he exclaimed, panting and breathless. “ I have hurried 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


197 


across the mountains to bring you the news. It is General 
Bisson with several thousand French troops, and Lieutenant- 
Colonel Wreden with a few hundred Bavarians. We had a 
hard fight with them yesterday at the bridge of Laditch and 
in the Muhlbacher Klause ; but they were too strong, and 
were joined yesterday by another French column ; therefore, 
we were unable to capture them, and had to let them march 
on. We killed hundreds of their soldiers ; but several thou- 
sands of them escaped, and are coming now to Innspruck.” 

“They will not come to Innspruck, for we are much 
stronger than they are, and we will not let them enter the 
city,” exclaimed Speckbacher, courageously. 

“ No, we will not, except in the same manner in which you 
brought the cavalry into the city yesterday, that is, to imprison 
them in the barracks,” said Major Teimer. 

“ Yes, yes, we will do so,” shouted the Tyrolese ; “ we will 
let the French come to Innspruck, but only as our prisoners.” 

“ Well, let us be up and doing now, my friends,” exclaimed 
Speckbacher. “We must fortify the city against the enemy. 
Having gone thus far yesterday, we cannot retrace our steps 
to-day. But we do not want to retrace them, do we ? ” 

“ No, we do not ! ” cried the Tyrolese. 

“We have raised the Austrian eagle again,” said Major 
Teimer, “ and the portraits of the emperor and our dear Arch- 
duke John are looking down upon us from the triumphal 
arch. They shall see that we are good soldiers and loyal sons 
of our country. Forward, men, let us be up and doing ! 
Barricade the city, the streets, and the houses ; make bullets, 
and put your arms in readiness. The French are coming ! 
Hurrah ! Long live the emperor Francis and the Archduke 
John ! ” 

Deafening cheers responded to him, and then the Tyrolese 
rushed through the streets to barricade the city in accordance 
with Teimer’s orders. 

The gates were immediately barricaded with casks, wagons, 
carts, and every thing that could be found for that purpose ; 
and the approaches to the city were filled with armed men, 
ready to give the enemy a warm reception. The doors of the 
houses were locked and bolted, and frantic women within 


198 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tliem boiled oil and water which they intended to pour on the 
heads of the soldiers in case they should succeed in forcing 
their way into the city ; bullets were made and stones were 
carried to the roofs, whence they were to be hurled on the 
enemy. Meanwhile the tocsin resounded incessantly, as if to 
invite the Tyrolese to redoubled efforts and increased vigi- 
lance. 

The tocsin, however, had aroused not only the Tyrolese, 
but also the Bavarians who were locked up in the barracks ; 
the prisoners understood full well what the bells were pro- 
claiming. To the Tyrolese they said : “ The enemy, your 
enemy, is approaching. He will attack you. Be on your 
guard ! ” To the prisoners they proclaimed : “ Your friends 
are approaching. They will deliver you. Be ready for 
them ! ” And now the Bavarians began to become excited, 
their eyes flashed again, the clouds disappeared from their 
humiliated brows; and with loud, scornful cheers and fists 
clinched menacingly, they stepped before their Tyrolese guards 
and cried : “ Our friends are coming. They will deliver us and 
punish you, and we shall wreak bloody vengeance on you for 
the disgrace you have heaped upon us. Hurrah, our friends 
are coming ! We shall soon be free again ! ” 

“ No, you will not,” shouted a loud, thundering voice ; and 
in the middle of the large dormitory occupied by the Bava- 
rians appeared suddenly the tall, herculean form of Joseph 
Speckbacher. On passing the barracks, he happened to hear 
the cheers of the prisoners and had entered in order to learn 
what was the matter. “ No,” he said once more, “ you will 
not ; you must not suppose that we shall be so stupid as to 
allow you to escape. Do not rejoice therefore at the approach 
of the French and your countrymen ; for I tell you, and I 
swear by the Holy Mother of Grod, if the French should enter 
the city victoriously, our last step before evacuating it would 
be to kill every one of you. Do you hear, Tyrolese guards ? 
If the prisoners do not keep quiet, if they make any noise, or 
even threaten you, shoot down the ringleaders ! But if the 
enemy penetrates into the city, then shoot them all, and do 
not spare a single one of them.* We will not incur the dis- 
* Hormayr’s “ History of Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 253. 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


199 


grace of re-enforcing the enemy by several thousand men. 
The guards at all doors here must be quadrupled, and at the 
first symptom of mischief among the prisoners, you will fire at 
them. Now you know, Bavarians, what is going to be done. 
Beware, therefore ! ” 

And Joseph Speckbacher left the hall with a proud nod of 
the head. The listening Bavarians heard him repeating his 
rigorous instructions to the sentinels outside ; they heard also 
the acclamations with which the Tyrolese responded to him. 
The prisoners, therefore, became silent ; they forced back 
their hopes and wishes into the depths of their hearts, and 
only prayed inwardly for their approaching friends, and 
cursed in the same manner their enemies, the ragged mob of 
the peasants. 

The tocsin was still ringing, and its sinister notes pene- 
trated likewise into the large guard-house, and spoke to the 
prisoners confined there. One of these prisoners was a 
gloomy, broken-down old man, General Kinkel; the other 
was a youth, mortally wounded and violently delirious. It 
was Colonel Dittfurt. The bullet of the Tyrolese had not 
killed him ; he still lived, a prisoner of the peasants, and, 
amidst his delirium and his agony, he was fully conscious of 
his disgrace. This consciousness rendered him raving mad ; 
it brought words of wild imprecation to his cold, bloodless 
lips ; he howled with rage and pain ; he called down the 
vengeance of Heaven upon “ the ragged mob,” the peasants, 
who had dared to lay hands upon him, the proud, aristocratic 
colonel, and rob him not only of his life, but also of his 
honor. All the night long he had raved in this manner ; 
and it was truly horrible to hear these words, full of con- 
tempt, hatred, and fury, in the mouth of a dying man ; it 
was dreadful to see this scarred form on the bloody couch, 
writhing in the convulsions of death, and yet unable to die, 
because anger and rage revived it again and again. At day- 
break Major Teimer had entered the guard-house with a 
detachment of Tyrolese; and while he repaired with some 
of them to General Kinkel, the other Tyrolese had en- 
tered Colonel Dittfurt’s room, to see the miracle of a 
man whose head had been pierced by a bullet having vi- 


200 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tality enough left to rave, swear, and curse, for twenty-four 
hours. 

Gradually the whole room became crowded with Tyrolese, 
who yesterday had been the mortal foes of the colonel, but 
who gazed to-day with profound compassion and conciliated 
hearts at the poor, mutilated being that disdained even on the 
brink of the grave to consider a peasant as entitled to equal 
rights and as a brother of the nobleman. 

Colonel Dittfurt lay on his couch with his eyes distended 
to their utmost, and stared at the Tyrolese assembled round 
him. For some minutes the curses and invectives had 
died away on his lips, and he seemed to listen attentively to 
the sinister notes of the alarm-bells which were calling inces- 
santly upon the Tyrolese to prepare for the struggle. 

“ Is that my death -knell ? ” he asked wearily. “ Have I, 
then, died already, and is it death that is lying so heavily on 
my breast ?” 

“ No, sir, you still live,” said one of the Tyrolese, in a low, 
gentle voice. “You still live ; the bells you hear are ringing 
the tocsin ; they aroused us because the French and Bava- 
rians are advancing upon the city.” 

“ The Bavarians are coming ! Our men are coming ! ” 
cried Dittfurt exultingly, and he lifted his head as if to rise 
from his couch. But the iron hand of death had already 
touched him and kept him enthralled. His head sank heavily 
back upon the pillow, and his eyes became more lustreless 
and fixed. 

“ They vanquished me,” he said, after a pause ; “ I know I 
am a prisoner of the peasants, and it is they who keep me 
chained to this couch and prevent me from going out to par- 
ticipate in the contest. Oh, oh, how it grieves me ! A prison- 
er of the peasants ! But they fought like men, and their lead- 
er must be an able and brave officer. Who was the leader of 
the peasants ? ” 

“ No one, sir,” said the Tyrolese, on whom the dying officer 
fixed his eyes. “We had no leader; we fought equally for 
God, the emperor, and our native country.” 

“ No, no,” said Dittfurt, “ that is false ; I know better, for I 
saw the leader of the peasants pass me often. He was mounted 


TIIE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


201 


on a white horse ; his face was as radiant as heaven, his eyes 
twinkled like stars, and in his hand he held a sword flashing 
like a sunbeam. I saw the leader of the peasants, he always 
rode at their head, he led them into battle, I — ” 

He paused, the expression of his eyes became more fixed, 
the shades of death descended deeper and deeper on his fore- 
head, which was covered with cold perspiration. 

The Tyrolese minded him no longer. They looked at each 
other with exultant and enthusiastic glances. “He saw a 
leader at our head ? ” they asked each other. “ A leader 
mounted on a white horse, and holding in his hand a sword 
flashing like a sunbeam ? It must have been St. James, the 
patron of the city of Innspruck. He was our leader yester- 
day. Yes, yes, that is it ! St. James combated at our head, 
unknown to us ; but he showed himself to the enemy and de- 
feated him. Did you not hear, brethren, what the pious 
priests told us of the Spaniards who have likewise risen 
to fight against Bonaparte, the enemy of the Pope and all 
good Christians? St. James placed himself in Spain like- 
wise at the head of the pious peasants ; he led them against 
Bonaparte and the French, and made them victorious over 
the enemy, who was bent upon stealing their country and 
their liberties. And since St. James got through with the 
Spaniards in Spain, he has come to the Tyrol to lend us his 
assistance. St. James, our patron saint, is our leader ! He 
assists us and combats at our head ! ” 

And the Tyrolese, regardless of the colonel, who at this 
moment was writhing in the last convulsions of death, rushed 
out of the room to communicate the miracle to their brethren 
outside. The news spread like wildfire from house to house, 
from street to street ; all shouted joyously : “ St. James, our 
patron saint, is our leader. He assists us and combats at our 
head ! ” * 

And this belief enhanced the enthusiasm of the Tyrolese, 
and with the most intrepid courage they looked upon the 
enemy, who had by this time come close up to the city, and 
was forming in line of battle on the plain adjoining the vil- 
lage of Wiltau. From the houses in the neighborhood of 

* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 41. 


202 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the triumphal arch the Tyrolese were able to survey the 
whole position of the enemy ; they could discern even the 
various uniforms of the French and Bavarian soldiers. Up 
yonder, on the roof of a house, stood Speckbacher and Teimer, 
and with their eyes, which were as keen and flashing 1 as those 
of the eagle, they gazed searchingly upon the position of the 
enemy and that of their own forces. The line from the vil- 
lage of Wiltau down to the river Sill was occupied by the 
French troops under General Bisson ; on the right side of 
Wiltau to the Inn stood Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden with the 
Bavarians, his front turned toward the city. 

“Now we must surround them as in a mouse-trap, and 
leave them no outlet for escape,” said Major Teimer, with a 
shrewd wink. “ Is not that your opinion too, Speckbacher ?” 

“ Certainly it is.” replied Speckbacher. “ Mount Isel yon- 
der, in the rear of the Bavarians, must be occupied by several 
thousands of our best sharpshooters, and a cloud of our peas- 
ants must constantly harass their rear and drive them toward 
Innspruck. Here we will receive them in fine style, and 
chase them until they are all dead or lay down their arms. 
The only important thing for us is to cut off their retreat and 
keep them between two fires.” 

“ You are right, Speckbacher ; you are a skilful soldier, 
and are better able to be a general than many an officer — for 
instance, General Kinkel. Kinkel is an old woman ; he wept 
and swore in one breath when I was with him just now ; he 
says all the time that he will commit suicide, and yet he is not 
courageous enough to do it, but preferred to comply with my 
demands.” 

“ And what were your demands, Teimer ? ” 

“ I demanded that he should give me an open letter to Gen- 
eral Bisson, urging him to send some confidential person into 
the town who might report the state of affairs, and convince 
him of the immense superiority and enthusiasm of the Tyro- 
lese, and of the impossibility of defeating us or forcing his way 
through our ranks.” 

“ And did old General Kinkel give you such a letter ? ” 

“ He did, and I will send it out now to the French camp. 
We must make all necessary dispositions, that when the gen- 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


203 


era! sends a confidential envoy into the town he may become 
fully alive to the fact that it is impossible for him to defeat 
us. Above all things, we must send several thousand sharp- 
shooters to Mount Isel and the adjoining heights, in order to 
cut off the enemy’s retreat.” 

The letter which Major Teimer had extorted from General 
Kinkel had really the effect which he had expected from it. 
General Bisson sent to Innspruck one of his staff-officers, 
accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden, the com- 
mander of the Bavarians. A few other officers followed these 
two, and repaired with them to Major Teimer, who received 
them at the principal guard-house in the presence of the most 
prominent Tyrolese. 

Meanwhile General Bisson awaited with painful impatience 
the return of the two ambassadors whom he had sent into the 
town ; and, his eyes constantly fixed on Innspruck, he walked 
uneasily up and down. But already upward of an hour had 
elapsed, and the ambassadors had not yet made their appear- 
ance. He had good reason to be uneasy and anxious, for the 
situation of the French and Bavarians was now almost des- 
perate. He had found out at the bridge of the Eisach, on the 
plain of the Sterzinger Moos, and at the Miihlbacher Klause, 
that the French had to deal with an enemy who was terribly 
in earnest ; that the whole Tyrol was in insurrection ; that 
Chasteler, with a body of armed peasants, as well as a few 
regular troops, was descending the Brenner, and already 
menacing his rear ; while the rocks and thickets in his front 
and flanks were bristling with the peasants of the Innthal, 
who, in great strength, obstructed his advance. 

“We shall die here, for we are hemmed in on all sides,” 
said General Bisson, gloomily, to himself. “ There is no hope 
left, and in the end we may be obliged to submit to the dis- 
grace of surrendering to the mob of peasants. But what on 
earth prevents the officers from returning to me ? ” 

And Bisson turned his searching eyes again toward Inn- 
spruck. Now he perceived two men approaching at a run. 
He recognized them ; they were the companions of his staff- 
officer and lieutenant-colonel, Von Wreden, and their pale, 
dismayed faces told him that they were bearers of bad tidings. 

14 


204 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Where are the two gentlemen whom I sent to Inn- 
spruck ? ” he asked, advancing rapidly toward them. 

“ They were taken into custody at Innspruck,” faltered out 
one of them. 

tk Major Teimer said he had taken upon himself no obliga- 
tion in regard to these officers, and would retain them as 
hostages,” panted the other. “ He then caused us to he con- 
ducted through the whole city, that we might satisfy ourselves 
of the tremendous strength of the Tyrolese and their for- 
midable preparations. Oh, your excellency, the peasants are 
much superior to us in strength, for there are at least twenty 
thousand able-bodied men in their ranks ; they are well 
armed, and the most celebrated marksmen and the most dar- 
ing leaders of the Tyrol are among them.” 

“Bah ! it would make no difference, even though they 
were ten to one ! ” cried General Bisson ; “ for ten peasants 
cannot have as much courage as one soldier of the grand army 
of my glorious emperor. We will prove to them that we are 
not afraid of them. We will attack them. A detachment of 
Tyrolese yonder has ventured to leave the city. Fire at them ! 
Shoot them down until not one of them is left ! ” 

The shots crashed, the artillery boomed, but not a Tyrolese 
had fallen ; they had thrown themselves on the ground, so 
that the bullets and balls had whistled harmlessly over their 
heads. But now they jumped up and responded to the shots 
of the enemy ; and not one of their bullets missed its aim, but 
all carried death into the ranks of the French. At the same 
time the sharpshooters posted on Mount Isel, in the rear of the 
French and Bavarians, commenced firing, and mowed down 
whole ranks of the soldiers. 

General Bisson turned in dismay tow T ard this new enemy, 
covered by the thicket, which, rising almost to the summit of 
Mount Isel, made the Tyrolese invisible, and protected them 
from the missiles of the soldiers. 

“We are between two fires,” he murmured to himself, in 
dismay. “We are caught, as it were, in a net, and will be 
annihilated to the last man.” 

And this conviction seized all the soldiers, as was plainly 
to be seen from their pale faces and terror-stricken looks. 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


205 


There was a sudden lull in the fire of the Tyrolese, which 
had already struck down several hundred French soldiers, 
and from the triumphal arch of Innspruck issued several 
men, waving white handkerchiefs, and advancing directly 
toward the French. It was Major Teimer, accompanied by 
some officers and citizens of Innspruck. He sent one of them 
to General Bisson to invite him to an interview to he held on 
the public square of the village of Wiltau. 

General Bisson accepted the invitation, and repaired with 
his staff and some Bavarian officers to the designated place. 

Major Teimer and his companions were already there. 
Teimer received the general and his distinguished compan- 
ions with a proud, condescending nod. 

“ General,” he said, without waiting for the eminent officer 
to address him, “ I have come here to ask you to surrender, 
and order your soldiers to lay down their arms.” 

General Bisson looked with a smile of amazement at the 
peasant who dared to address to him so unheard-of a demand 
with so much calmness and composure. 

“ My dear sir,” he said, “ I am convinced that you are not 
in earnest, but know full well that we never can or will com- 
ply with such a demand. Moreover, our situation does not by 
any means compel us to allow conditions to he dictated to us. 
Nevertheless, I am ready to make some concessions to you. 
Hence, I will pledge you my word of honor that I will neither 
attack you, nor injure the city of Innspruck in the least. But 
in return I demand that you allow us to pass without molesta- 
tation through Innspruck, that we may march to Augsburg in 
obedience to the orders of my emperor.” 

“ And you believe we can he so stupid as to grant this de- 
mand, general ?” asked Teimer, shrugging his shoulders. “I 
do not want to be beaten down, hut stick to my first demand. 
Either you order your troops to lay down their arms, or you 
will all be put to the sword.” 

“ No, so help me God ! never will I accept so arrogant a 
demand,” cried the general, indignantly ; “ never will I incur 
the disgrace of signing so ignominious a capitulation.” 

“ Then, general, you will appear this very day before the 
throne of God to account for the lives of the thousands whom 


206 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


you devote to an unnecessary death. For all of you will and 
must die ; there is no escape for you. You know it full well, 
general, for otherwise you, the proud general of Monsieur 
Bonaparte, and commander of several thousand splendid 
French soldiers, would not have come to negotiate here with 
the leader of the peasants, who knows nothing of tactics and 
strategy. You know that there are enemies both in your front 
and rear. Our men occupy Mount Isel, and the whole country 
back of Mount Isel is in insurrection. You cannot retrace 
your steps, nor can you advance, for you will never get to 
Innspruck, and there is no other road to Augsburg. We have 
barricaded the city, and have nearly twenty thousand men in 
and around Innspruck.” 

But I pledged you my word that I would not attack you, 
nor take any hostile steps whatever. All I want is to march 
peaceably through the city ; and, in order to convince you of 
my pacific intentions, I promise to continue my march with 
flints unscrewed from our muskets, and without ammunition.” 

“ I do not accept your promises, they are not sufficient,” said 
Teimer, coldly. 

“ Well, then,” cried General Bisson, in a tremulous voice, 
“ hear my last words. I will march on with my troops with- 
out arms ; our arms and ammunition may he sent after us on 
wagons.” 

“ If that is your last word, general, our negotiations are at 
an end,” replied Teimer, with perfect sang-froid. “ You have 
rejected my well-meaning solicitude for your safety ; nothing 
remains for me now but to surrender you and your troops to 
the tender mercies of our infuriated people. Farewell, 
general.” 

He turned his hack on him and advanced several steps to- 
ward Innspruck. At the same time he waved his arm three 
times. Immediately, as had been agreed upon, the Tyrolese 
on Mount Isel, and in front of Innspruck, commenced firing, 
and their close discharges, admirably directed, thinned the 
ranks of the French grenadiers, while the shouts with which 
the mountains resounded on all sides were so tremendous that 
they were completely panic-struck. 

General Bisson saw it, and a deadly pallor overspread his 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


207 


face. Teimer stood still and gazed sneeringly at the disheart- 
ened and terrified soldiers, and then glanced at their general. 

Bisson caught this glance. “ Sir,” he cried, and his cry re- 
sembled almost an outburst of despair, “ pray return to me. 
Let us negotiate ! f 

Teimer did not approach him, he only stood still. “ Come 
to me, if you have any thing to say to me,” he shouted ; 
“ come, and — ” 

The rattle of musketry, and the furious shouts of the Tyro- 
lese, now pouring down from all the mountains, and advanc- 
ing upon the French, drowned his voice. 

To render his words intelligible to Teimer, and to hear his 
replies, General Bisson was obliged to approach him, and he 
stepped up to him with his staff-officers in greater haste per- 
haps than was compatible with his dignity. 

“ What else do you demand ? ” he asked, in a tremulous 
voice. 

“ What I demanded at the outset,” said Teimer, firmly. “ I 
want your troops to lay down their arms and surrender to the 
Tyrolese. I have already drawn up a capitulation ; it is only 
necessary for you and your officers to sign it. The capitula- 
tion is brief and to the point, general. It consists only of 
four paragraphs. But just listen to the shouts and cheers 
of my dear Tyrolese, and see what excellent marksmen they 
are ! ” 

Indeed, the bullets of the Tyrolese whistled again at this 
moment through the ranks of the enemy, and every bullet hit 
its man. Loud shouts of despair hurst from the ranks of the 
French and Bavarians, who were in the wildest confusion, and 
did not even dare to flee, because they knew full well that 
they were hemmed in on all sides. ” 

General Bisson perceived the despair of his troops, and a 
groan escaped from his breast. “ Read the capitulation to me, 
sir,” he said, drying the cold perspiration on his forehead. 

Teimer drew a paper from his bosom and unfolded it. He 
then commenced reading, in a loud, ringing voice, which 
drowned even the rattle of musketry : 

“ In the name of his majesty the Emperor Francis I. of Aus- 
tria, a capitulation is entered into at this moment with the 


208 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


French and Bavarian troops which advanced to-day from 
Steinach to Wiltau ; the following terms were accepted : 

“ First. The French and Bavarian soldiers lay down their 
arms on the spot now occupied by them. 

“ Secondly. The members of the whole eighth corps are 
prisoners of war ; and will he delivered as such to the Aus- 
trian troops at Schwatz, whither they will be conveyed imme- 
diately. 

Thirdly. The Tyrolese patriots in the custody of these 
troops will be released on the spot. 

Fourthly. The field and staff-officers of the French and 
Bavarian troops will retain their baggage, horses, and side- 
arms, and their property will be respected. ” 

“ You see, sir, it is impossible for me to sign this,” cried 
General Bisson. “ You cannot expect me to subscribe my own 
disgrace.” 

“ If you refuse to subscribe the capitulation, you sign there- 
by not only your own death-warrant, but that of all your sol- 
diers,” said Teimer calmly. “ See, general, here is fortunately 
a table, for this is the place where the people of Wiltau assem- 
ble on Sundays, and dance and drink. Fate placed this table 
here for us that we might use it for signing the capitulation. 
There is the capitulation ; I have already affixed to it my 
name and title as commissioner of the Emperor Francis. I 
have also brought pen and ink with me, that you might have 
no trouble in signing the document. Subscribe it, therefore, 
general, and let your staff -officers do so too. Spare the lives 
of your poor soldiers, for you see every minute’s delay costs 
you additional losses.” 

“ I cannot sign it, I cannot ! ” cried Bisson, despairing- 
ly. He burst into tears, and in his boundless grief he struck 
his forehead with his fist and tore out his thin gray hair 
with his trembling hands. * “I cannot sign it,” he wailed 
loudly. 

“Sign it,” cried, his officers, thronging round the table. 
“ You must refuse no longer, for the lives of all our soldiers 
are at stake.” 

“ But my honor and good name are likewise at stake,” 
* Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 257. 




TIIE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 209 

groaned Bisson, “ and if I sign the capitulation, I shall lose 
both forever.” 

“ But you will thereby preserve to the emperor the lives of 
upward of three thousand of his soldiers,” exclaimed the of- 
ficers, urgently. 

“ Never will the emperor believe that this disaster might 
not have been averted,” wailed General Bisson. “ Even were 
I merely unfortunate, he would impute it to me as a crime. 
He will forgive me no more than Villeneuve and Dupont. 
His anger is inexorable, and it will crush me.” 

“ Then let it crush you, general,” said Teimer, calmly. “ It 
is better that you should be crushed than that several thou- 
sand men should now be crushed by the Tyrolese.” 

“ Sign, sign ! ” cried the French officers, stepping close up 
to the table, taking up the pen, and presenting it to the gen- 
eral. 

“ Then you are all determined to sign the capitulation after 
I have done so ? ” asked General Bisson, still hesitating. 

“We are,” cried the officers. 

“We are ready to do so,” said Major Armance, “and in 
proof hereof I affix my name to the capitulation before you 
have signed it, general.” 

He subscribed the paper with a quick but steady hand. 
Another staff-officer stepped up, took the pen, and also wrote 
his name, “Varin.” 

“ Now, general,” he said, presenting the pen to Bisson. 

The general took the pen, cast a last despairing glance to- 
ward heaven and then toward his soldiers, bent over the pa- 
per, and signed it. 

The pen dropped from his hand, and he had to lean against 
the table in order not to sink to the ground. Major Teimer 
drew a white handkerchief from his pocket and waved it in 
the air. The Tyrolese ceased firing immediately, and deafen- 
ing cheers burst forth on all sides. 

“ You see, general, you have saved the lives of your sol- 
diers,” said Teimer. 

Bisson only sighed, and turned to his officers. “ Now, gen- 
tlemen,” he faltered out, “give orders to the troops to lay 
down their arms on the spot now occupied by them.” 


210 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


The officers hastened away, and General Bisson started to 
leave likewise, when Teimer quickly laid his hand on his arm 
and detained him. 

“General,” he said, “pray issue still another order.” 

“ What order, sir ? ” 

“ You have of course brought your carriage with you ; order 
your coachman to drive up with it, and permit me and these 
gentlemen here to enter it with you, and ride to Innspruck.” 

“ That is to say, I am your prisoner, and you wish to make 
your triumphal entrance into the city with me ? ” 

“ That is about my intention. I should like to return to 
the city seated by your side ; and as the good inhabitants of 
Innspruck are very anxious to see a French general, one of 
Bonaparte’s generals, who does not come with his troops to 
devastate the city, to rob and plunder, I request you to let us 
make our entrance in an open, uncovered carriage.” 

“We will do so,” said Bisson, casting a sombre glance on 
Teimers shrewd face. “ You are merciless to-day, sir. What 
is your name ? ” 

“ My name is Martin Teimer ; I hold the rank of major in 
the Austrian army, and Archduke John has appointed me 
commissioner for the Tyrol.” 

“ Ah, one of the two commissioners who signed the ‘ open 
order,’ with which the country was instigated to rise in insur- 
rection ? ” 

“Yes, general.” 

“And Andreas Hofer, the Barbone, is the other commis- 
sioner, is he not ? I will remember it in case we should meet 
again.” 

“ You will then take your revenge ; that is quite natural. 
But to-day we take our revenge for the long oppressions and 
insults which we have endured at the hands of the French. 
Come, general, let us ride to Innspruck.” 

An hour afterward a long and brilliant procession moved 
through the triumphal arch. It was headed by the band of 
the captured Bavarian regiment, which had to play to glorify 
its own disgrace to-day ; next came an open carriage in which 
Martin Teimer sat with a radiant face, and by his side Gen- 
eral Bisson, pale, and hanging his head. In another carriage 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


211 


followed the staff -officers, escorted by the municipal authori- 
ties and clergy of Innspruck, and afterward appeared the 
whole enormous force of the Tyrolese conducting the dis- 
armed prisoners in their midst.* 

All Innspruck had put on its holiday attire ; at all the 
windows were to be seen gayly-dressed ladies and rejoicing 
girls, holding in their hands wreaths, which they threw down 
on the victors. The bells of all the churches were ringing, 
not the tocsin, but peals of joy and thanksgiving. 

For the task was accomplished, the Tyrol was free ! In 
three days after the insurrection broke out, the Tyrolese, by 
means solely of their own valor and patriotism, aided by the 
natural strength of the country, had entirely delivered the 
province from the enemy. The capitulation of Wiltau 
crowned the work of deliverance, to the everlasting glory of 
the brave Martin Teimer, and to the disgrace of General Bis- 
son and the French and Bavarians, f 

There were great rejoicings in Innspruck all the day long ; 
glad faces were to be met with everywhere, and all shouted 
enthusiastically: “We have become Austrians again ! We 
are subjects of the Emperor of Austria again ! Long live the 
free Tyrol ! Long live the Emperor Francis ! ” 

The streets presented a very lively appearance; all the 
painters of the city were occupied in removing the hateful Ba- 
varian colors, blue and white, from the signs and houses, and 
j putting on them the Austrian, black and gold; and the Tyro- 
lese marksmen held a regular target-shooting at the Bavarian 
lion, which, to the great disgust of the Tyrolese, had been 
raised four years ago over the entrance of the imperial pal- 
ace. Prizes were awarded for every piece which was shot 
from it, and the principal reward was granted to him who 
pierced the crown of the lion. 

Yes, the northern Tyrol was free ; but the South, the Ital- 
ian Tyrol, was groaning yet under the yoke of French oppres- 
sion, and Andreas Hofer intended to march thither with his 

* Hormayr’s “ Life of Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 259. 
f Major Teimer was rewarded for this capitulation of Wiltau with the 
title of Baron von Wiltau, and with the order of Maria Theresa. The Em- 
peror of Austria, besides, presented him with valuable estates in Styria. 


212 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


forces, as he had concerted at Vienna with the Archduke 
John and Hormayr, in order to bring to the Italian Tyrolese 
the liberty which the German Tyrolese had already con- 
quered. 

Hence Andreas Hofer, though his heart yearned for it, had 
refrained from making his solemn entrance into Innspruck, 
and had gone on the 17th of April to Meran, where he was to 
review the Landsturm of that town and its environs, the 
brave men who were to accompany him on his expedition to 
the Italian Tyrol. 

The Tyrolese were drawn up in four lines ; at their head 
was to be seen Hormayr, surrounded by the priests and civil 
officers who had been exiled by the Bavarians, and who were 
returning now with him and the Austrian army. 

A cloud of dust arose from the neighboring gorges of the 
Passeyr valley, and a joyous murmur ran through the ranks 
of the Tyrolese. Deafening cheers rent the air then, for An- 
dreas Hofer galloped up on a fine charger, followed by the 
men of the Passeyr valley. His face glowed, his eyes beamed 
with delight, and his whole bearing breathed unbounded sat- 
isfaction and happiness. 

He shook hands with Hormayr, laughing merrily. “We 
have kept,” he exclaimed, “ the promises we made at Vienna, 
have we not ? And our dear Archduke John, I suppose, will 
be content with us ? ” 

“ He sends the best greetings of his love to his dear An- 
dreas Hofer,” said Hormayr, “ and thanks him for all he has 
done here.” 

“He thanks me?” asked Hofer, in surprise. “We have 
done only what our hearts longed for, and fulfilled our own 
wishes. We wished to become Austrians again, for Austrians 
means Germans ; we wanted no longer to be Bavarians, for 
Bavarians meant French ; hence, we were anxious to rid our 
mountains of the disgrace and make our country again free 
and a province of Germany. We have succeeded in doing so, 
for the good God blessed our efforts and helped us in our sore 
distress. Now we are once more the faithful children of our 
dear emperor, and the dear Archduke John will come to us 
and stay with us as governor of the Tyrol.” 


THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 


213 


“He certainly will, and I know that he longs to live again 
in the midst of his faithful Tyrolese. But for this reason, 
Andy, we must help him that he may soon come to us, and 
aid him in delivering the Southern Tyrol. I have great news 
for you, Andy, from the Archduke John. I wished to com- 
municate it to you first of all. No one was to hear of it previ- 
ous to you.” 

“ I hope it is good news, Baron von Hormayr, said Andreas 
Hofer, anxiously. “ The dear archduke, I trust, has not met 
with a disaster ? Tell me quick, for my heart throbs as though 
one of my dear children were in imminent peril.” 

“ You yourself are a child, Andy. Do you suppose I should 
look so cheerful if our dear archduke had met with a disaster ? 
And even though such were the case, would I then be so stu- 
pid as to inform you of it now, at this joyful hour, when it is 
all-important that we should be in high spirits ? No, Andy, I 
bring splendid news. The Archduke John achieved yester- 
day a glorious victory at Sacile over the Viceroy of Italy, Eu- 
gene Beauharnais ; it was a great triumph, for he took eight 
thousand prisoners, and captured a great many guns. But 
amidst this triumph he thought of his dear Tyrolese, and dis- 
patched from the battle-field a courier who was to bring to me 
the news and his order to tell his dear Tyrolese that he de- 
feated the French yesterday.” 

Andreas Hofer, overjoyed and with his countenance full of 
sunshine and happiness, galloped down the long line of his 
sharpshooters. • 

“ Hurrah ! my dear friends and brethren,” he shouted, 
“the Archduke John sends his greetings to you, and informs 
you that he defeated the French yesterday at Sacile and took 
eight thousand prisoners and a great many guns. Hurrah ! 
long live the Archduke John, the future governor of the 
Tyrol ! ” 

And the Tyrolese repeated, with deafening cheers : “ Hur- 
rah ! long live the Archduke John, the future governor of the 
Tyrol ! ” 

“ And I have to bring you still another greeting from the 
Archduke John,” shouted Baron von Hormayr. “But you 
shall not hear it here in the plain, but up at the ancient castle 


214 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


of Tyrol. It is true, the Bavarians and the miserable French 
have destroyed the fine castle, hut the ruins of the ancient 
seat of our princes remain to us. We will now ascend to 
those ruins, and up there you shall hear the message which 
the Archduke John sends to you.” 

The whole force of the Tyrolese thereupon moved up the 
mountain-path leading to the castle of Tyrol, headed by An- 
dreas Hofer and Baron von Hormayr. 

On reaching the crest of the hill, Hofer stopped and 
alighted from his horse. He knelt down amidst the ruins of 
the castle with a solemn, deeply-moved face, and holding the 
crucifix on his breast between his hands, and lifting his eyes 
to heaven, he exclaimed with fervent devotion : “ Thanks, 
Lord God, thanks for the aid that thou hast hitherto vouch- 
safed to us ! Thanks for delivering the country and permit- 
ting us to be Austrians again ! O God, grant now stability to 
our work — and preserve it from falling to ruin ! If Thou art 
content with me, let me further serve and be useful to my na- 
tive country ! I am but a weak instrument in Thy hand, my 
God, but Thou hast used it, and I pray Thee not to cast it aside 
now, but impart to it strength and durability, that it may 
last until the enemy has been driven from the country, and 
the whole Tyrol is free again for evermore ! I kiss the dear 
soil where our princes walked in former times, and where they 
swore to their Tyrolese that they should be freemen, and 
that their free constitution should be sacred for all time to 
come ! ” • 

He bent down, kissed the moss-grown stones, and encircled 
them tenderly with his arms as though they were an altar 
before which he was uttering devout vows and prayers. The 
Tyrolese, who had gradually reached the summit, had si- 
lently knelt down behind Andreas Hofer, and were praying 
like him. 

One sentiment animated them all and illuminated their 
faces with the radiant lustre of joy : the Tyrol was delivered 
from the foreign yoke, and they, the sons of the country, had 
alone liberated their beloved fatherland. 

“Now, men of the Tyrol,” shouted Hormayr, “listen to the 
message which the Archduke John sends to you.” 


ELIZA WALLNER’S RETURN. 


215 


And amid the solemn silence of the Tyrolese, and the peals 
of the Meran church-bells penetrating up to them, Hormayr 
read to them a document drawn up by the Archduke John, by 
virtue of which he resumed possession of the Tyrol in the 
name of the emperor, declared it to be incorporated with the 
imperial states, and solemnly vowed that, as a reward of its 
loyalty, it should remain united with Austria for all future 
time. At the same time, the ancient constitution and the 
former privileges were restored to the Tyrolese, and Baron von 
Hormayr was appointed governor of the Tyrol. 


CHAPTER XX. 

ELIZA WALLNER’S RETURN. 

All Windisch Matrey was again in joyful commotion to- 
day, for a twofold festival was to be celebrated : the return of 
the men of Windisch-Matrey, who had so bravely fought for 
the country and so aided in delivering it ; and then, as had 
been resolved previous to their departure, Eliza Wallner’s 
wedding was to come off to-day. 

She had redeemed her pledge, she had proved that she was 
a true and brave daughter of the Tyrol, and Anthony Wall- 
ner, her father, was no longer angry with her ; he wished to 
reward her for her courage and intrepidity, and make her 
happy. Therefore, he had sent a messenger secretly and with- 
out her knowledge to Windisch-Matrey, and had ordered his 
wife to decorate the house festively, and request the curate to 
repair to the church and perform the marriage rites. The re- 
turning Tyrolese were to march to the church, and, after 
thanking God for the deliverance of the Tyrol, the curate was 
to marry Eliza Wallner and her lover in presence of the whole 
congregation. 

Since early dawn, therefore, all the married women and 
girls of Windisch-Matrey, dressed in their handsome holiday 
attire, had been in the street, and had decorated the route 
which the returning men were to take, and adorned the church 
with wreaths and garlands of flowers. 


216 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Wallner’s wife alone had remained at home, for she had to 
attend to the preparations for the wedding-banquet, with 
which she and her servant-girls had been occupied during the 
whole of the previous day. There were a great many things 
to be done yet ; the table had to be set in the large bar- 
room for the wedding-guests ; the roasts had to be looked 
after in the kitchen ; and the whole house had to be deco- 
rated, and festoons of flowers to be suspended round its en- 
trance. 

“Schropfel might render me good service now,” said 
Wallner’s wife, eagerly. u I have so many things to attend 
to, and he does not move his hands, but sits like a log at 
the door of dear Ulrich von Hohenberg, and cares for noth- 
ing else. Oh, Schropfel, Schropfel, come here ! I want to 
see you ! ” 

At the staircase leading down into the hall appeared the 
sunburnt, furrowed face of old Schropfel. 

“If you want to see me, you must come up here,” he 
shouted. “ I have been told to stand guard here, and I will 
not desert my post, even for the sake of Mrs. Wallner, until I 
am relieved.” 

“He is a queer fellow,” said Mrs. Wallner, laughing, “but 
I must do what he says.” 

She hastened up-stairs. At the door of the room where 
the prisoner was confined stood the servant, pressing his face 
to the brown panels of the door. 

“Now, Schropfel,” asked Mrs. Wallner, laughing, “can 
you see through the boards ? For you put your eyes to the 
door as though it were a window.” 

“ It is a window,” said Schropfel, in a low voice, limping 
up a few steps to his mistress. “ I have bored four small 
holes in the door, and through them I am able to see the 
whole room and all that the prisoner is doing. Look, Mrs. 
Wallner ! the hole below there is my window when he is in 
bed and asleep ; I can see his face through it. The hole a 
little above it enables me to watch him while he is seated at 
the table, and writing or reading ; and through the hole up 
here I can see his face when he is pacing the room.” 

“You are a strange fellow,” said Mrs. Wallner, shaking 


ELIZA WALLNER’S RETURN. 217 

her head. “ You watch the poor sick prisoner as though he 
were an eagle, always ready to fly from the nest.” 

“ He is about what you say,” said Schropfel, thoughtfully. 
“He is no longer sick, and his wings have grown a great 
deal during the week since he was here. I believe he would 
like to fly from here.” 

“ Oh, no,” said Mrs. Wallner, with a shrug. “ He loves my 
Lizzie, and I do not believe that he who loves that girl will 
wish to fly away before she flies with him.” 

“ I do not know about that ; I have my own notions about 
it,” said Schropfel. “ He is a Bavarian for all that, and the 
Bavarians are all faithless and dishonest. 1 swore to watch 
him and not lose sight of him, and I must keep my oath ; 
hence, I shall not leave the door until I am relieved.” 

“ Then you will not come down-stairs and help me fix the 
wreaths and garlands, set the table, and clean the knives ? ” 

“No, dear Mrs. Wallner, I am not allowed to do so, much 
as I would like to assist you. A sentinel must never leave his 
post, or he will be called a deserter, and Mr. Wallner always 
told me that that was a great disgrace for an honest fellow. 
Now, as I am an honest fellow, and, owing to my lame leg, 
cannot serve the country in any other way than watching 
this prisoner, I shall stay here as a sentinel and take good care 
not to desert.” 

“Well, do so, then,” exclaimed Mrs. Wallner, half angrily, 
half laughingly. “ But you may go in to the gentleman and 
tell him to be of good cheer, for Eliza will come back to-day, 
and the wedding will take place immediately after her return, 
•when he will be free. Tell him to prepare for the ceremony ; 
for, when the bells commence ringing, the returning defend- 
ers of the country will have reached the village, and we are 
to go with him to the church, where the curate will await 
us.” 

“ Of course, I shall tell him all this,” growled Schropfel, 
and Mrs. Wallner hastened down-stairs again. 

“ Yes, I shall tell him,” murmured Schropfel to himself, 
“ but I wonder if it will gladden his heart ? During the first 
few days, when he had the wound-fever, he talked strange 
things in his delirium, and derided and scorned our beautiful 


218 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Lizzie, who, he said, was bent upon becoming an aristocratic 
lady. Since he is well again, he abuses her no longer, but he 
looks very sombre, and during the whole week he has not 
once inquired after his betrothed. God blast the accursed 
Boafok if he should love the girl no longer, and if he did not 
honestly intend to make her his wife ! I will go in to him 
and see how he receives the news.” 

Ulrich von Hohenberg was seated in his armchair, and 
gazing musingly out of the window. He did not turn when 
the old servant entered his room ; he seemed not to have 
noticed his arrival, but continued staring at the sky even 
when Schropfel stood close to him. The face of the young 
man was still pale and wan, and under his eyes, formerly so 
clear and cheerful, were to be seen those bluish circles indica- 
tive of internal sufferings of the body or the soul. However, 
since the wound-fever had left him, he had never uttered a 
complaint, and the wound, which was not very severe, had 
already closed and was healing rapidly. Hence, it was doubt- 
less grief that imparted so gloomy and sickly an appearance 
to Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, and it was this very sus- 
picion that rendered Schropfel distrustful, and caused him to 
watch his prisoner night and day with sombre vigilance. 

He stood a few minutes patiently, and waited for the cap- 
tain to address him; but Hohenberg continuing to take no 
notice of him, he resolutely laid his hand on his shoulder. 

“ Sir, awake ! ” he exclaimed sullenly. 

The captain gave a slight start, and pushed the servant’s 
hand with an angry gesture from his shoulder. 

“ I am awake,” he said ; “ it is therefore quite unnecessary 
for you to lay hands on me. What is it ? What do you want 
of me ? ” 

“I want to tell you only that our men will return this 
morning, and that this will be a great holiday in Windisch- 
Matrey. For our men are victorious, and the country is de- 
livered from the enemy. Mr. Wallner has written to us that 
the brave Tyrolese delivered the whole country in three days, 
that they have taken prisoners eight thousand infantry and 
one thousand cavalry, and captured eight guns, two stands of 
colors, and two French eagles. Besides, several thousand 


ELIZA WALLNER’S RETURN. 


219 


French and Bavarians have perished in the gorges and on the 
battle-fields. Very few of our own men have been killed, and 
not one of them made prisoner. Now the whole country is 
free, and our victorious men are coming home.” 

Not a muscle in the captain’s face had betrayed that he 
had heard Schropfel’s report. He still stared quietly at the 
sky, and his features expressed neither grief nor surprise at 
the astounding news. 

“You do not ask at all, sir, if Eliza Wallner will return 
with the men ? ” asked Schropfel, angrily. “ I should think 
you ought to take some interest in that, for Lizzie is your be- 
trothed.” 

“She is not ! ” cried the captain, starting up indignantly, 
with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. 

“ Yes, she is,” said Schropfel, composedly. “ I myself 
heard the girl say to her father and the men of Windisch- 
Matrey: ‘He is my bridegroom ; I love him, and you must 
not kill him.’ And because she said so, the men spared your 
life, although Anthony Wallner- Aichberger was very angry, 
and would not forgive his daughter for having given her 
heart to an enemy of her country, a Bavarian, and, moreover, 
a nobleman, and not to an honest peasant. But Lizzie begged 
and wailed so much that her father could not but yield, and 
promised her to forgive all if she proved that she was no trait- 
oress to her country, but a true and brave daughter of the Tyr- 
ol ; after doing so, he would permit her to marry her Bava- 
rian betrothed. And now she has proved that she is a true 
and brave daughter of the Tyrol, and the whole country is 
full of the heroic deeds performed by Lizzie Wallner, and of 
the intrepidity which she displayed under the most trying cir- 
cumstances. And to-day, captain, you will meet again your 
betrothed, who saved your life, and who went with the men 
only to perform heroic deeds that would induce her father ta 
consent to her union with you. I tell you, sir, beautiful 
Lizzie Wallner, your betrothed, will return in an hour or 
two.” 

The young man’s face crimsoned for a moment, and when 
the color disappeared from his cheeks, their pallor was even 
more striking and ghastly than before. 

15 


220 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Eliza Wa liner fought, then, very bravely against — against 
my countrymen ? ” he asked, pantingly. 

“ No, she did not fight, sir, but she went into the thickest 
shower of bullets to carry away the wounded Tyrolese, and 
attend to their injuries; and she drove a hay- wagon directly 
toward the enemy, and our men were concealed behind the 
hay, and she brought a keg of wine to our men while the 
bullets were whistling round her ; and, finally, she and the 
other women escorted the Bavarian prisoners to Castle Stein - 
ach.” 

The young man uttered a cry, and buried his face in his 
hands. 

“What a disgrace, oh, what a disgrace ! ” he groaned, de- 
spairingly ; and in his grief he seemed to have entirely for- 
gotten the presence of the servant, for he wept, wept so bit- 
terly that large scalding tears trickled down between his 
fingers. “ Our brave soldiers were defeated by miserable 
peasants,” he wailed. “ The Bavarian prisoners were marched 
off under an escort of women ! ” 

Schropfel stood as if petrified, and this outburst of the 
grief of the usually haughty and laconic young man filled 
him with the utmost surprise and confusion. 

However, the captain suddenly dried his tears and dropped 
his hands from his face. 

“ And Eliza Wallner, you say, led the women who escorted 
the Bavarian prisoners ? ” he asked, in a firm, almost menac- 
ing voice. 

“ Yes, sir, she did,” said Schropfel. “ And now her father 
is reconciled with her, and, to prove it, he will marry his 
daughter to you to-day.” 

The captain said nothing ; only a proud, scornful smile 
played around his lips for a moment. 

“ Yes,” added Schropfel, “ the wedding will come off to-day. 
Immediately after their return the procession will move to 
the church, where a thanksgiving service will be held ; it 
will be followed by the marriage ceremony. Mr. Wallner 
wrote to his wife to send you to the church as soon as the 
bells commenced ringing, and to keep you in the vestry until 
you were sent for. Remember, therefore, as soon as the bells 


ELIZA WALLNER’S RETURN. 


221 


commence ringing, I shall call for you and take you to the 
vestry.” 

The young man was silent, and gazed thoughtfully before 
him ; he then threw back his head with an air of hold reso- 
lution. 

“ All right,” he said, “ I shall accompany you. Did you not 
say that my baggage had been sent hither from the castle ? ” 

“ Yes, yes, Miss Elza sent every thing hither by her serv- 
ants, and she herself came with them. And during the first 
days, when you had the wound-fever, she came here at least 
three times a day and asked how you were, and cried and 
lamented, and entreated me for God’s sake to admit her to 
your room only for a brief moment. But I had sworn not to 
admit any one to my prisoner, nor to permit him to speak 
with any one ; hence, I could not make an exception even in 
favor of the kind-hearted young lady. She comes neverthe- 
less every day«and inquires about you ; and she begged hard 
and long until Mrs. Wallner permitted her to send your din- 
ner always from the castle. As you will be free to-day, I may 
tell you all this, for it will no longer do any harm.” 

“ No, it will no longer do any harm,” said the captain, with 
a peculiar smile. “ Listen, I wish to dress up for to-day’s cere- 
mony, and don my gala uniform. Therefore be so kind as to 
fetch it.” 

“ I will, captain, I will fetch the uniform and he hack di- 
rectly,” said Schropfel, cheerfully, limping hastily toward the 
door. But outside he stood still and pressed his finger 
thoughtfully to his nose. “ I do not know exactly what to 
think of it,” he murmured to himself. “ At first he uttered a 
loud cry and said Lizzie Wallner was not his betrothed ; after- 
ward he lamented piteously because Lizzie Wallner escorted 
the Bavarian prisoners ; and finally he asked for his gala 
uniform in order to dress up for the ceremony. Well, we 
shall see very soon if he has honest intentions toward Lizzie 
and really loves her. If he thinks he can play her a trick, he 
had better beware, for I shall never lose sight of him ; I shall 
always he behind him, and if he does not treat the girl as he 
ought to, I will strike him down with my fists like a mad 
bull ! I will do it, so help me God ! ” 


222 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER XXI. 

THE CATASTROPHE. 

The bells were ringing, the men were rejoicing, and the 
girls of Windisch-Matrey and its environs took position with 
baskets of flowers on both sides of the street. For the victori- 
ous defenders of the country were approaching ; their cheers 
were already heard at a distance ; and they already saw the 
merry boys who had gone out to meet them, and who now 
headed the procession amid manifestations of the liveliest de- 
light. Yes, they were coming, they were coming ! Yonder, 
down the mountain-slope, moved the motley procession of the 
Tyrolese, resembling a glittering serpent of gigantic propor- 
tions. How their rifles flashed in the sun ! How beautifully 
the bouquets adorned their pointed green "hats ! And now 
they were already able to distinguish the faces and the indi- 
vidual forms. Immediately behind the boys, at the head of 
the procession, walked Anthony Wallner-Aichberger. How 
splendid the commander-in-chief looked ; and how beautiful 
was Lizzie, walking by his side, handsomely dressed, and wear- 
ing a beautiful bouquet in her bosom ! Her attentive father 
had despatched a special messenger to his wife for Lizzie’s 
holiday dress and her trinkets, so that Lizzie, the pride and 
joy of his heart, might make her entrance in a becoming man- 
ner into Windisch-Matrey. 

Lizzie looked really splendid in her holiday attire. Her 
raven hair, flowing down in heavy tresses on her neck, was 
interwoven with dark-red ribbons, and large rosettes of the 
same color were fastened with silver pins to her head. Her 
low-necked corset, adorned with silver trimmings, was fast- 
ened on the breast with silver chains ; and above it rose a 
white chemisette trimmed with laces, and veiling chastely her 
faultless bust and beautifully-shaped shoulders. Large white 
sleeves covered her arms and were fastened to her wrists with 
dark-red rosettes. An ample skirt of fine dark-red wool, 
trimmed with black velvet, fell from her slender waist down 
to her ankles, and her small feet were encased in handsome 


THE CATASTROPHE. 


223 


stockings and shoes adorned with large silver buckles. The 
boys had brought to her the splendid bouquet which she wore 
in her bosom, and had told her, amid laughter and cheers, 
that her betrothed sent her the bouquet as a wedding-present. 

But these words had rendered Lizzie silent and sad. The 
smile had disappeared from her lips, and the color had faded 
from her cheeks ; she looked anxiously at her father, but he 
nodded to her and said laughingly : “Do not ask me any 
questions to-day, Lizzie, for I will not tell you any thing. 
Await quietly the events that will take place, and bear in 
mind that your father loves you dearly, and is anxious to 
make his little daughter happy and contented.” 

Eliza tried to divine what these words of her father meant, 
and a gloomy foreboding, a terror which she was unable to ex- 
plain to herself, filled her heart. 

She listened no longer to the joyous shouts of the boys, 
and ceased singing with Panzl the fine songs of the Tyrolese 
mountains, but walked along, pale, silent, and hanging her 
head. 

Now they reached Windisch-Matrey, and stood still at the 
entrance of the street, where the clergy, municipal authorities, 
and the beautifully-dressed girls, bade them welcome. Oh, it 
was a soul-stirring moment, a sacred festival of welcome ! 
The brave men had gone out to fight for their native country, 
their emperor, and the liberties of the Tyrol ; and God had 
granted them victory. He had assisted them in all contests, 
the country was free, the emperor was again master of the 
Tyrol, and the men of Windisch-Matrey returned victoriously 
to their homes. All seemed to greet them with glowing looks 
of love ; the whole earth seemed to shout “Welcome!” to 
them. Even the glistening snow-clad summits of the Gross- 
Glockner seemed to look at them over the other mountains 
with an air of curiosity and solemn kindness ; and on the 
green mountain-pastures stood the red cows so proud and 
handsome, as if they had placed themselves there for the pur- 
pose of adorning the landscape for the returning heroes. 
And the wild Iselbach murmured merrily at the roadside and 
sent its silvery spray into the air, and the boys laughed and 
sang ; the bells pealed so loudly and solemnly, and received 


224 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ringing responses from the villages farther down in the val- 
ley ; the priests stood with solemn, devout faces at the en- 
trance of the place, blessing the heroes with uplifted hands, 
and eyes turned to heaven ; and the girls and matrons, strew- 
ing flowers to the returning men, stood on both sides of the 
street, and greeted them with beaming smiles. 

Oh, this sweet, sublime moment silenced all cares and 
doubts. The smile returned to Eliza’s lips, her cheeks crim- 
soned, and her eyes beamed with the purest joy. With a loud 
cry of delight she threw herself into the arms of her mother, 
and kissed her a thousand times, and scarcely listened to the 
address of the curate, who returned thanks to her in the name 
of the whole parish for her courage and the assistance she had 
rendered to her countrymen wounded in battle. 

But now Eliza heard a dear familiar voice, which caused 
her to raise herself from her mother’s arms and look up. 

Yes, it was the old, kind-hearted Baron von Hohenberg 
who was standing before her, and held out his hand to her 
with his sunniest and kindest smile. “ My brave daughter,” 
he said, feelingly, “ give me your hand. You know that I 
love you as though you were my own child ; and now I am 
proud of you, for you have become a heroine, and have done 
honor to our Tyrol. Elza was right after all in always call- 
ing you another Maid of Orleans, and saying you were a born 
heroine.” 

But where is Elza ? ” said Lizzie, anxiously, to the old 
castellan. 

“ Here I am, dearest Eliza,” said the young lady, who had 
hitherto kept herself behind her father and the clergyman. 

“ Oh, my Elza, my dear, dear Elza ! ” exclaimed Eliza, rap- 
turously ; and she encircled her friend’s neck with her arms, 
and imprinted a glowing kiss on her lips. 

But she felt that Elza’s lips quivered, that she did not re- 
turn the kiss, nor press the friend to her heart ; and it seemed 
to Eliza as though a cold hand suddenly touched her heart and 
pressed it rudely and cruelly. She raised her head from Elza’s 
shoulder, and looked her full in the face. It was not until 
now that she saw how pale Elza was, how red her eyes with 
weeping, and how forced her smile. 


THE CATASTROPHE. 


225 


“You are sick, Elza,” she said, anxiously. 

“No,” whispered Elza, “I am not.” 

“ Then you love your Lizzie no longer ? ” asked Eliza, press- 
ingly. 

“ Yes, I do,” said Elza, in a hollow voice, and with a won- 
drously mournful smile. “I do love you, and, to prove it, I 
present you with this wreath. God bless you, dear Lizzie ; 
may He grant you happiness ! ” 

“Elza,” cried Eliza, anxiously, “ Elza, pray come to me and 
tell me what it means, what — ” 

“ Hush, Lizzie, hush,” said her father, seizing her hand and 
drawing her forward. “ Do you not see that the procession is 
moving on, and that we must go with it ? See, the curate and 
the castellan are already far ahead, and we must go too.” 

“ But where, father, where ? ” 

“ To the church, you dear little goose ! ” 

“ To the church ? What are we to do there ? Why do we 
not go home ? ” 

“ Have you become so impious during your campaign, Liz- 
zie, as not to know that we must always render homage to 
God first and above all things ? We are going to church to 
return thanks ; come with me, and ask no more questions.” 

“ But I will take off the myrtle-wreath ! ” exclaimed Lizzie, 
lifting her hand anxiously to the wreath. But her father drew 
back her hand. 

“ No, Lizzie,” he said, “do not remove the wreath. It fits 
well on your head.” 

“ But I am no bride going to church on her wedding-day.” 

“ Really, Lizzie, are you not ? ” asked her father, laughing. 
“But hush now, my child, we are already at the church-door, 
and do you not hear the glorious swelling notes of the organ ? 
Let us enter the church, dear Lizzie.” 

He drew her forward, and Eliza followed him : but inde- 
scribable anguish oppressed her soul ; she did not know why, 
and she felt as though something dreadful were about to hap- 
pen here, and as though she ought to flee, flee far into the 
mountains, into solitude. 

But her father held her by the hand, and walked with her 
up the main aisle to the large altar. Rows of chairs, decorated 


226 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


with flowers, had been placed here, and Eliza had to seat her- 
self on one of these chairs ; by her side sat her father ; op- 
posite her, the castellan and her friend Elza ; then came the 
municipality, and John Panzl, lieutenant-commander of the 
men of Windisch-Matrey, and behind them stood the dense 
crowd of the sharpshooters of the Pusterthal. 

Eliza cast a searching glance on the dense crowd ; she 
looked at all the pews, and yet she did not know what she was 
looking for, nor what alarmed her heart so much. 

All at once she started in sudden terror, and her cheek 
turned deadly pale. Yonder, behind the windows of the 
vestry, she beheld a young man in a handsome uniform ; it 
was he, he whom she had looked for without knowing it her- 
self ; he from whose sight her heart had shrunk with anxiety 
and dismay. And yet Eliza had longed to see him, for she had 
been uneasy on his account : she had feared lest he should still 
suffer gravely from the consequences of his wound. But she 
had not dared to ask any one about him ; hence, she was glad 
to see that he was well, and showed her gladness in her gaze 
at him. Their eyes met, but he looked upon her with an ex- 
pression of hatred and contempt ; a haughty, disdainful smile 
played round his lips, and he threw back his head supercil- 
iously, instead of nodding pleasantly to her. 

Eliza felt a terrible pain in her heart ; she wished to jump 
up, she — All at once she heard her name drop from the lips 
of the curate, who was standing before the altar, and who had 
just concluded the thanksgiving prayer. What did he say — 
why did he mention her ? She held her breath to listen to 
him. Great heavens ! another name fell from the curate’s 
lips. He uttered the name of Ulrich von Hohenberg ; he pro- 
claimed him the bridegroom of Eliza Wallner, who was 
present ; he called upon Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg to 
appear before the altar, and receive the consecration of his 
union with his betrothed in the presence of all these witnesses. 

With a hollow groan, crushed, and as if broken-hearted, 
Eliza sank back into her chair, and her pale lips murmured : 
“ Now I am lost, and so is he ! ” 

“ Ulrich von Hohenberg,” shouted the priest at the altar, 
a come hither and take your bride by the hand.” 


THE CATASTROPHE. 


227 


The door of the vestry opened, and Ulrich von Hohenberg 
stepped in. His tall, slender form presented a very fine ap- 
pearance in the brilliant gala uniform ; a flashing cross 
adorned his breast ; in his hand he held his gold-laced hat, 
with the waving white plume ; only the sword was wanting 
to his side, and this alone betokened his humiliating position, 
and showed that he was a prisoner amidst all these armed 
men. But the consciousness of this fact seemed not to 
humiliate him, for he walked up, his head proudly raised, 
and his stern, cold eyes gazing scornfully upon the assembly. 

He stepped close up to the altar. “ Reverend father,” he 
said, in a clear, loud voice to the priest, “ you have called me. 
Here I am. What do you want of me ? ” 

“ I have called you, Ulrich von Hohenberg, to marry you 
to your betrothed. Eliza Wallner, step to the side of your 
bridegroom.” 

But Eliza Wallner did not rise from her chair ; she leaned 
her head, almost in a swoon, against the hack of her chair, 
and stared, as if unconscious of what was going on around 
her, at the priest and the young man, who fixed his eyes on 
her at this moment with an air of cold contempt. 

“ Eliza Wallner,” he cried aloud, “ do not come hither, for 
I am not your betrothed, and never shall you become my 
wife ! ” 

A deafening cry of rage hurst from all lips : the eyes of all 
the brave men in the church flashed with anger, and they laid 
their hands menacingly on their rifles. 

But Anthony Wallner sprang to his feet, pale with rage, 
his eyes shooting fire, like those of an angry tiger, rushed to- 
ward the captain, and seized his arm. 

“ What ! ” he cried, furiously, “ you infamous, perjured 
scoundrel, refuse to marry my daughter ? First you stole her 
love, you promised to marry her, and now that I would give 
her to you, you refuse to take her ! ” 

“Yes, I do,” cried Ulrich von Hohenberg, almost joyously. 
“Never will Eliza Wallner, the peasant-girl, become my wife ; 
never will I stoop so low as to allow a wife to be forced upon 
me, merely to save my life, and least of all her who has fought 
against my countrymen and brethren ; who participated in 


228 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the studied insult inflicted upon the brave soldiers of my king, 
and in the infamous treason you have all committed against 
your king and lord. Yes, I tell you, you are infamous rebels 
and traitors, and you think I, Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, 
a soldier who took the oath of allegiance to his king, could act 
so dishonorably and meanly as to join the rebels ! No, never ! 
Never will the daughter of the rebel Anthony Wallner become 
my wife ! Kill me now if you want to do so. You may take 
my life, but you cannot dishonor me ! ” 

Eliza sat still motionless, and as if petrified. She had 
heard, as if in a dream, the captain’s words ; and, as if in a 
dream, she saw that Schropfel rushed forward and raised his 
powerful arm against him, and that all the men crowded up 
to him with menacing gestures ; as if in a dream, she heard 
wild shouts and imprecations. 

All at once two ice-cold, trembling hands seized Eliza’s 
arms, and a beloved voice penetrated her ear with the vehe- 
mence of mortal anguish and terror. 

“ Eliza ! ” cried this voice — “ Eliza, will you allow them to 
kill him ? ” 

“ Elza ! ” murmured Eliza, as if starting up from a trance, 
“ Elza, what is the matter ? ” 

“ They will assassinate him, Eliza ! ” wailed Elza. “ They 
have tied and gagged him, and say that they will take him 
out and shoot him. Eliza, you alone can save him ! Have 
mercy, forget what he said in his rage and grief. Have mercy 
upon him, upon me ! For I tell you, they will assassinate 
him. Oh, see, they are forming a circle round him, and drag- 
ging him down the aisle ! They are taking him out to the 
public place ! They intend to shoot him ! Save him, Eliza, 
save him ! ” 

Eliza made no reply ; she sprang up from her seat and 
hastened down the aisle after the men, who were just issuing 
from the church-door, and in whose midst was walking Cap- 
tain Ulrich von Hohenberg, conducted by Anthony Wallner, 
and his servant, lame old Schropfel, his hands tied on his back, 
and a gag in his mouth. 

But the sharpshooters surrounded the prisoner like a thick, 
impenetrable wall. Vainly did Eliza beg and implore the 


THE CATASTROPHE. 


229 


men to let her pass ; vainly did she try with the strength of 
despair to elbow her way through the ranks. The men pushed 
her back impetuously. 

“ You shall not intercede in behalf of the infamous vil- 
lain,” they said ; “ you shall not save the life of the mean 
Bavarian who calls us rebels and traitors, and yet did not 
keep his own word. He shall and must die, he has forfeited 
his life.” And their strong arms pushed her from the circle 
which they noyr formed on the large place in front of the 
church. In its middle stood the captain, by his side Anthony 
"Wallner, and behind him Schropfel, like a watch-dog ready 
at any moment to tear his enemy. 

Anthony lifted his arm with slow, solemn tranquillity, 
and dropped it heavily on the captain’s shoulder. 

“ Ulrich von Hohenberg,” he said, “ you are an infamous 
villain, for you pledged your word to my daughter that you 
would marry her, and now you repudiate her. You are a 
liar and a slanderer, for you call us infamous rebels and 
traitors merely because we fought for our country and our 
emperor. Therefore, you have sinned against God, man, and 
honor. Ulrich von Hohenberg, you must die ! ” 

“ Yes, you must die !' ” shouted the men ; and they took 
the rifles from their shoulders and loaded them. 

Anthony Wallner and Schropfel stepped back from the 
prisoner, and the men who had stood behind him moved out 
of the way. Hence the circle, which had hitherto been im- 
penetrable, now opened. Eliza saw it, and sprang forward, 
regardless of the sharpshooters, who were just raising their 
muskets, regardless of the danger menacing herself. Pale, 
with panting breath, her hands lifted to heaven, she sped 
across the open space toward the captain, and, placing herself 
before him, exclaimed, with flashing eyes, and in an exulting 
voice : “ Now shoot, men, shoot ! For I tell you he shall 
not die alone, and if you shoot him, you shall kill me too.” 

“ Eliza ! ” cried her father, beseechingly, and withal 
angrily, “ Eliza, stand back l He is a traitor, and must 
die.” 

“ He is no traitor, nor must he die ; and if you assassinate 
him you shall assassinate me too,” cried Eliza. 


230 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


“ But, Lizzie, did you not hear, then, how he repudiated 
and abused you, the faithless Bavarian ? ” asked her father. 

“ I did, and I forgive him,” she said gently, “ for I know 
full well that he does not mean what he says. Are you 
so stupid, men, as not to comprehend that he cannot act 
otherwise, and that he must speak thus and not other- 
wise ? Father, you said I was a true daughter of the Tyrol, 
and that you loved me and were content with me. I pray 
you, then, dearest father, spare the life of my betrothed until 
to-morrow morning, and have him taken back as a prisoner 
to our house until then. Schropfel may watch him, and not 
take his eyes from him. Oh, dear, kind friends, brave men, 
have mercy upon me ! Bear in mind that we fought together 
for our beloved country, and that you told me you would 
never forget me, and would comply with my wishes when- 
ever you could. I wish now that you spare the life of my be- 
trothed only until to-morrow morning.” 

“ He says he is not your betrothed, Lizzie, and will never 
marry you ! ” exclaimed the men, with irresolute faces, and 
already half softened by the beseeching, touching expression 
of Eliza’s countenance. 

“ He says so,” she said, casting a fiery glance on the cap- 
tain, who stood pale and motionless, heard every word, and 
was unable to make a reply; “ he says so, hut I know that he 
loves me, and will be joyously ready to-morrow morning to 
do what I ask of him. Father,” she added, in a low voice, 
seizing Anthony Wallner’s arm, and drawing him aside 
quickly, “ do you not comprehend, then, that Ulrich cannot 
speak differently ? Would not his king, after his return to 
Bavaria, pronounce him a traitor, and charge him with hav- 
ing joined us and the Austrians, and with having convicted 
himself by marrying a Tyrolese girl ? Be wise, dearest father, 
and see how shrewdly Ulrich manages every thing, and that 
he acts precisely as I told him. It must look as though he 
did not marry me of his own accord, but compelled by you ; 
otherwise his king and his father, who is a very proud man, 
would never forgive him. But when they hear what has oc- 
curred here, and that you threatened to shoot Ulrich because 
he would not marry me, the gentlemen at Munich will under- 


THE CATASTROPHE. 


231 


stand that Ulrich had to take me in order to save his 
life.” 

“And are you satisfied to have it look as though he 
married you only under compulsion ? ” asked her father, 
gloomily. 

“ I am, father,” she said, “ for I love my betrothed ; and 
he shall not become unhappy for my sake and forfeit the 
good graces of his king and his father. State all this to your 
friends, dear father, and tell them to let Ulrich and me alone 
for to-day ; but ask them all to come to our house to-morrow 
morning and accompany the bride and bridegroom to the 
church, for Ulrich will marry me at nine to-morrow morn- 
ing.” 

“ But, Lizzie, why not to-day ? ” asked her father. “ Why 
not at this hour ? ” 

“ It will not do, father. If you had told me beforehand 
what was to be done here, I should have told you at once 
what I am telling you now : it will not do for a young girl 
to appear before God’s altar without due preparation, and as 
though she were going to a dance. What I am going to do is 
something very serious, and I will do it seriously. I will 
pray to God to-day, go to confession, and have a great many 
things to talk over with Ulrich, for I know he wants me to 
set out with him immediately after we have been married, and 
that it may not look as though he had stayed voluntarily with 
you in our valley. I must, therefore, pack up my things and 
prepare for departing as soon as we have been married. Let 
us alone, then, dear father, to-day, and invite the men to come 
to-morrow morning and attend my marriage with Captain 
Ulrich von Hohenberg.” 

“Well, then, Lizzie, I will comply with your wishes,” said 
Wallner, after a short reflection. “I will give you and him 
time until to-morrow morning ; but I tell you, my daughter, 
if he continues the same game to-morrow, and talks then in 
the same strain as to-day, I shall take the jest in dead earnest, 
and will not believe a word of all you say to excuse him : and 
then his life is forfeited, and he must die. — No, Schropfel, 
come here ; take the prisoner back to my house, and confine 
him where you have kept him for a week past. But I tell 


X 


232 ANDREAS HOFER. 

you, watch him well, and admit no one to him except Lizzie, 
and prevent him from talking with anybody but his be- 
trothed. ” 

“ I will do so, and watch him as I have done up to this 
time,” said Schropfel, gloomily. “He shall not talk with 
anybody, and I should like it best if he were not permitted 
either to speak with Lizzie, for I do not believe at all that she 
is his betrothed.” 

“ We shall see to-morrow morning, when the marriage is 
to take place,” said Anthony Wallner. — “Take the prisoner 
away.” 

“ You let him go ? ” exclaimed the men. “ You spare his 
life ? ” 

“ Only until to-morrow morning, because Lizzie begged 
me to do so,” said Anthony Wallner. “ The wedding will 
take place at nine to-morrow morning ; I invite you all to 
attend it, men, and we shall see then. To-morrow morning 
there will be a wedding or an execution. Now let us speak 
no more of it to-day ; let us forget what has happened to 
Anthony Wallner and his daughter ; and let us bear in mind 
only that we have returned after delivering our dear Tyrol 
from the French and Bavarians. Let us go now to my house, 
where my wife awaits us with a keg of excellent wine. Come, 
we will drink to the welfare of our fatherland, and .to the 
health of our dear Emperor Francis ! ” 


CHAPTER XXII. 

ELIZA AND ULRICH. 

Schropfel, the faithful servant, had taken Ulrich von 
Hohenberg, in obedience to Anthony Wallner’s order, back 
to the small room where he had passed the last eight days as 
a prisoner. Since he had him again in his custody, no ad- 
ditional precautions were necessary, for Schropfel knew that 
he could rely on his own vigilance, and that the prisoner 
surely would never escape from him. Hence, he loosened 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


233 

the cords with which he had been tied, and removed the 
handkerchief with which he had been gagged. 

“ If it affords you pleasure,” said Schropfel, “ you may use 
your mouth and inveigh against Lizzie Wallner, who has 
saved your life to-day a second time, and whom you rewarded, 
like a genuine Bavarian, that is to say, with black ingratitude 
and treachery. But I advise you not to abuse her loud enough 
for me to hear you outside, for I am not as patient as Lizzie, 
and I shall never permit you to abuse and treat so contemptu- 
ously the noblest and best girl in the whole country. She 
acted toward you to-day as a good Christian and a brave girl, 
for you insulted her, and she not only forgave you, hut pro- 
tected you, and saved your life. And now, sir, abuse her if 
you cannot help it ; hut I tell you once more, do not speak too 
loud, lest I should hear you.” 

And Schropfel turned with a last threatening glance and 
left the room. Outside he sat down on the cane-settee which, 
for the past eight days, had been his seat by day and his couch 
by night ; and he pressed his eye to the middle hole which he 
had bored in the door. He could distinctly see and watch the 
captain through it. Ulrich had sunk down on a chair and 
leaned his head on his hand ; he lifted his sombre eyes to 
heaven, and there was a strange expression of emotion and 
grief upon his face. But he seemed not to intend availing 
himself of the permission which Schropfel had given him to 
abuse Lizzie Wallner, for his lips were firmly compressed, and 
not a sound fell from them. Or could Schropfel, perhaps, not 
hear him, because the men down in the bar-room were laugh- 
ing and shouting so merrily, and speaking so loudly and en- 
thusiastically of the Tyrol, and drinking the health of the em- 
peror and the Archduke John, who had again taken posses- 
sion of their country and solemnly proclaimed that he would 
restore the ancient and liberal constitution of the Tyrolese ? 

“ How merry they are down-stairs ! ” growled Schropfel. 
“ I might be there too ; I have amply deserved to have a little 
exercise and pleasure. Instead of that I must sit here with a 
dry mouth ; and if this goes on much longer, I shall surely 
grow fast to my settee. And all that for the sake of the 
mean, perfidious Bavarian, who is so utterly dishonest, and 


234 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


who treated our beautiful, uoble Lizzie in so infamous a man- 
ner ! Well, if I were in the girl’s place, I would not take the 
perfidious wretch who has denied her twice already. Oh, 
how merry they are down-stairs ! No one thinks of me and 
gives me a drop of wine that I may likewise drink to the wel- 
fare of the fatherland.” 

But Schropfel was mistaken for once, for quick footsteps 
ascended the staircase at this moment, and now appeared the 
lovely head of Eliza Wallner above the railing, then her whole 
form, and a second afterward she stood in the passage close 
before Schropfel. In her hands she held a plate with a large 
piece of the fine cake which her mother herself had baked, and 
a large glass of excellent red wine. 

“ There, good, faithful Schropfel,” she said in her gentle 
voice, nodding to him pleasantly, and handing the plate to 
him, “ eat and drink, and let me in the mean time go and see 
your prisoner.” 

“ What do you want of him ? ” asked Schropfel, moodily. 

. “I want to see him about our wedding to-morrow,” said 
Eliza calmly ; “ and you know father has given me permission 
to go to him and speak with him.” 

“ Yes, he did, and I cannot prevent you from entering, 
which I would do otherwise,” growled Schropfel. “ Go in, 
then, but do not stay too long ; and if he should abuse you 
again, pray call me, and I will assist you.” 

“Thank you, dear Schropfel,” said Eliza, “but pray admit 
me now.” 

Schropfel withdrew his settee from the door and allowed 
Eliza to open it, and, entering to the prisoner, closed it again 
behind her. 

Ulrich von Hohenberg still sat, as Schropfel had seen 
him, at the table, leaning his head on his hand ; only he 
had now covered his eyes with his hands, and long sighs 
issued from his breast. He seemed not to know that the 
door had opened and some one had entered, or rather perhaps 
he thought it was only Schropfel, and he did not wish to take 
any notice of him. 

Eliza Wallner stood leaning against the wall, and gazed at 
him a long time with a wondrous expression of love and grief ; 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


235 


for a moment she laid her hand on her bosom, as if to stifle 
the cry which her lips were already about to utter ; then she 
cast a beseeching glance toward heaven, and, as if strength- 
ened by this mute invocation, she stepped forward. 

41 Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg ! ” she said, in her sweet, 
melodious voice. 

He gave a start, dropped his hand from his face, and 
jumped up. 

“Eliza Wallner !” he said, breathlessly and in great con- 
fusion. 

She only nodded her head, and fixed her clear, piercing 
eyes with a proud, reproach ful expression on his face ; he 
dropped his eyes before her gaze. On seeing this, Eliza 
smiled, and, crossing the room with a rapid step, went to the 
window. 

“ Come here, sir, and look at that. What do you see yon- 
der ? ” 

Ulrich stepped to her and looked out. “ I see the moun- 
tains and the summits of the glaciers,” he said ; “and in the 
direction in which you are pointing your finger, I see also my 
uncle’s castle.” 

“ Do you see also the balcony, Ulrich von Hohenberg ? ” 
she asked, somewhat sarcastically. 

“I do,” he replied, almost timidly. 

She looked at him with the proud and lofty air of a queen. 

“ When we met last and spoke with each other, we stood 
on yonder balcony,” added Eliza. “ Do you remember what 
we said at the time, sir ? ” 

“ Eliza,” he murmured — 

“ You remember it no longer,” she interrupted him, “ but 
I do. On yonder balcony you swore to me that you loved 
me boundlessly ; and when I laughed at you, you invoked 
heaven and earth to bear witness of your love. Now, sir, 
heaven and earth gave you an opportunity to prove your ar- 
dent love for Eliza Wallner. Did you profit by that opportu- 
nity ? ” 

“No,” he said, in a low voice ; “it is true, I acted harshly 
and cruelly toward you, I occasioned you bitter grief, I — ” 

“I do not complain,” she exclaimed, proudly. “I do not 
16 


236 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


speak of myself, but only of you. You swore eternal love to 
me at that time, but you did so as a mendacious Bavarian ; I 
did not believe you, and knew full well that you had no 
honest intentions toward me. For this reason I laughed at 
you, and said the peasant-girl was no suitable match for you, 
and rejected all your oaths and protestations of passionate 
love. ” 

“ But afterwards, to punish me for venturing to speak of 
love to you,” he exclaimed, impetuously, “you feigned to 
have believed my protestations and oaths ; and although you 
had previously laughed at me, you wished now to become my 
wife.” 

“ No,” she said, with a fiery glance of disdain ; “ no, after- 
wards I only wished to save your life. You have utterly mis- 
taken Eliza Wallner’s character, Ulrich von Hohenberg. 
You thought Lizzie Wallner would deem herself exceedingly 
fortunate to become the wife of an aristocratic gentleman, 
even though he took her only by compulsion : you thought 
she would be content to leave the Tyrol by the side of the 
nobleman who disdained her, and go to the large foreign city 
of Munich, where the aristocracy would scorn and mock the 
poor Tyrolese girl. No, sir, I tell you, you have utterly mis- 
taken my character. I attach no value whatever to your 
aristocratic name, nor to the distinguished position of your 
family ; when I marry, I shall choose a husband who loves 
me with all his heart, and who does not wish to live without 
me, and takes me of his own accord, and with the full en- 
thusiasm of a noble heart. But he would have to remain in 
the mountains and be a son of the Tyrol ; for my heart is at- 
tached to the mountains, and never would I or could I leave 
them to remove to a large city. You see. therefore, Ulrich, 
that a marriage with you would by no means appear to me a 
very fortunate thing ; and, moreover, if you had allowed your- 
self to be compelled to marry me, had you not refused to do 
so, I should have despised you all my life long as a miserable 
coward. I thank you, therefore, for resisting the men so 
bravely, for I should have been sorry to be obliged to despise 
you ; you are my dear Elza's cousin, and I myself have always 
liked you so well.” 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


237 


“ Eliza,” lie exclaimed, impetuously, “ you are an angel of 
goodness and lenity, and I stand before you filled with shame 
and grief. You say you always liked me so well, and I treated 
you with so much ingratitude and disdain ! Oh, let me press 
this dear hand to my lips, let me thank you for all that you 
have done for me ! ” 

He tried to seize her hand, hut she withdrew it from him 
quickly. 

“ Captain von Hohenberg,” she said, “ we are no longer on 
the balcony yonder ; nor is it necessary that you should kiss 
my hand. That may be suitable when you have fair ladies 
from the city before you, but not when you are speaking with 
a Tyrolese girl. Besides, I did not tell you all this to obtain 
praise and admiration from you, but to prevent you from tak- 
ing me for a mean-spirited girl, respecting herself so little as 
to try to get a husband in so dishonorable a manner. No, by 
the Holy Virgin, I would rather die and be buried under an 
avalanche than act so meanly and disgracefully. But when 
the peasants were going to kill you, there was no other way 
for me to save your life than that of saying that you were ray 
betrothed, and that was the only reason why I said so. How- 
ever, I had no idea that the wedding was to take place to-day, 
for my dear father had concealed it from me, and wished to 
surprise me, because he really believed that I loved you. If I 
had known beforehand what father had in view, f should have 
devised some way of preventing him from carrying his plan 
into effect. But I swear to you, I had no inkling of it. There- 
fore, I beg your pardon, sir, for the harsh treatment you re- 
ceived at their hands for my sake.” 

“ Eliza,” he said, mournfully, “ your words rend my heart. 
Oh, do not be so gentle and generous ! Be angry with me, 
call me an infamous villain, who, in his blindness, did not 
penetrate your magnanimity and heroic self-sacrifice ; do not 
treat me with this charming mildness which crushes me ! 
You acted like an angel toward me, and I treated you like a 
heartless barbarian.” 

u I forgive you with all my heart, and therefore you may 
forgive yourself,” she said, with a gentle smile. “ But let us 
speak no longer of the past ; let us think only of the future. 


238 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


You heard what father said : 1 To-morrow morning there will 
be a wedding or an execution.’ ” 

“ Well, then, there will be a wedding to-morrow morning,” 
exclaimed Ulrich, casting an ardent glance on the young 
girl ; “ yes, there will be a wedding to-morrow morning. 
Pray, Eliza, save my life a third time to-morrow ; become my 
wife ! ” 

“ I will save your life,” she said, throwing back her head, 
proudly ; “ but fortunately it is unnecessary for me to become 
your wife for that purpose. I have come here only to save 
you. Sir, you must escape to-night.” 

“ Escape,” he said, shrugging his shoulders ; “ escape, when 
Schropfel is guarding my door ? ” 

“ Hush ! do not speak so loud, sir ; he might hear you, and 
he must know nothing about it. Bend your head closer to 
me and listen : Go to bed early this evening, but extinguish 
your light beforehand, lest Schropfel should see any thing. 
My mother told me Schropfel had bored holes in the door, 
and was watching you all the time. Therefore, go to bed 
early, and leave your window open. When the church-clock 
strikes two, listen for any noise, and hold yourself in readi- 
ness. That is all I have to say to you, and now good-by.” 

She nodded to him, and turned to the door. 

“ But I, Eliza — I have to tell you many things yet,” said 
Ulrich, detaining her. “ Pray, stay yet awhile and listen to 
me ! ” 

“ No, sir, it is time for me to go ; my mother is waiting for 
me,” replied Eliza, withdrawing her hand from his. “ Good- 
by, and if you can pray, pray to God to protect you to- 
night ! ” 

She opened the door hastily and stepped out, and smiled 
at Schropfel, but the old servant looked at her gloomily. 

“ You stayed a long while with the Bavarian,” he growled. 

“ And yet you did not eat your cake nor empty your glass 
in the mean time,” said Eliza, with a smile. “ You looked 
again through the hole in the door, did you not ? You saw, 
then, Schropfel, that we stood together like a pair of sensible 
lovers. ” 

“ I did not see any thing,” exclaimed Schropfel, angrily, 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


239 


“ for you placed yourself close to the window, and my hole 
does not enable me to look around the corner ; nor did I hear 
any thing, for you whispered as softly as though you were a 
couple of sparrows which understand each other when hilling 
and cooing.” 

“ Fie, Schropfel ! do not talk such nonsense,” cried Eliza, 
blushing deeply. “Behave yourself, Schropfel, and I will 
bring you another bottle of wine to-day, and beg father to let 
you come down to supper to-night, and permit you to sleep in 
your bedchamber.” 

“ I shall take good care to do no such thing,” growled 
Schropfel. “I am a sentinel here, and must not desert my 
post.” 

“ But you may take your sentry-box with you,” said Eliza, 
pointing to his settee. “ When a soldier remains close to his 
sentry-box, he does not desert his post. Well, good-by, 
Schropfel ; the sentinel will be relieved to-night.” 

Eliza’s words were fulfilled. Toward nightfall she in- 
formed Schropfel that her father permitted him to take his 
supper at the table down-stairs, and afterward go to bed in 
his own chamber. 

“ Well, and who is to watch the prisoner in the mean 
time ? ” asked Schropfel. 

“You yourself ! Look, you will lock the door and put the 
key in your pocket. In addition, you may put that heavy box 
yonder against the door ; then you will be sure that your pris- 
oner cannot get out, for I think his chamber has no other out- 
let.” 

“ Yes, it has — the window ! ” 

“ Do you think the Bavarian has wings and will fly out of 
the window to-night ? ” 

“ It is true he cannot fly out, nor can he jump out, for he 
would simply break his neck. But, nevertheless, I do not like 
this arrangement at all. Something tells me that it will turn 
out wrong. I shall, at least, unchain the watch-dog, who will 
prevent the Bavarian from escaping through the window. 
For the rest, I feel that all my limbs are stiff, and that I have 
at length deserved some repose. As it is your father’s will, I 
will go down-stairs, take supper, and afterward go to bed in 


240 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


my chamber. If any thing happens, I shall wash my hands 
of it.” 

“ Wash them as much as you please, Schropfel, hut come 
down to supper,” cried Eliza, hastening down-stairs with the 
agility of a bird. 

Schropfel looked after her, shaking his head ; he then 
locked the door, put the key in his pocket, and placed the 
heavy iron-bound box against the door. 

“ And before going to bed I shall unchain Phylax,” he 
said, as if to console himself, while he was going slowly and 
stiffly down-stairs. 

Schropfel kept his word. Weary and exhausted as he was, 
he waited until all the inmates of the house had gone to bed, 
and until all noise had died away. He then went into the 
yard and unchained the formidable and ill-humored watch- 
dog. Phylax howled and trembled with joy and delight at 
being released ; hut Schropfel seized his ear and pointed his 
other hand at the prisoner’s window, which was brightly il- 
luminated by the moon. 

“Watch that window well, Phylax,” he said, “watch it 
well ; and if you see anything suspicious, call me at once. I 
shall not sleep so fast as not to hear your barking. Watch it 
well, Phylax.” 

The dog looked up to the window as if he had understood 
the order ; he then fixed his clear, lustrous eyes on Schropfel, 
and uttered a threatening growl. 

“ Very well,” said Schropfel, “ you have understood me. 
You will watch him, and I may go to bed.” 

He dropped the ear of the dog, who thereupon hounded 
wildly through the yard, while Schropfel limped back into 
the house. He was heard slowly ascending the staircase and 
opening the creaking door of his bed-chamber, and then all 
became silent. 

Night spread its pall over the weary, the sleepers, and the 
weeping ; the moon stood with silvery lustre high in the 
heavens, and illuminated the snow-clad summits of the moun- 
tains rising in the rear of the outbuildings in Wallner’s yard. 
Hour after hour passed by, and all remained silent ; not a 
sound broke the holy stillness of night. 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


241 


Hour after hour passed by ; nothing stirred in the yard ; 
the dog sat, as if he had really understood Schropfel’s words, 
in the middle of the yard, and stared steadfastly at the pris- 
oner’s window. Phylax watched, as Sehropfel had gone to 
bed ; Phylax watched, and did not avert his eyes from the 
window on which his whole attention seemed to be con- 
centrated, for he did not stir, he did not even disturb the 
flies buzzing round his ears ; he was all attention and vigi- 
lance. All at once something occurred that had never hap- 
pened to him during his nocturnal service ; a wondrous, appe- 
tizing scent was wafted to him on the wings of the night- 
breeze. Phylax averted his eyes for a moment from the win- 
dow and glanced searchingly round the yard. Nothing stirred 
in it, but this wonderful scent of a roast sausage still impreg- 
nated the air, and seemed to grow even stronger and more 
tempting ; for Phylax pricked up his ears, raised his nose, 
snuffing eagerly to inhale the scent, and rose from the ground. 
He glanced again round the yard, and then advanced a few 
steps toward the window yonder on the side of the house. 
This window was open, and the keen nose of the dog told him 
that the appetizing scent had come from it. All at once, how- 
ever, Phylax stood still, as if remembering his master's orders, 
and looked again toward the prisoner's window. 

At this moment a low voice called him : “ Phylax ! come 
here, Phylax ! ” 

The dog hesitated no longer ; he had recognized the voice 
of his friend and playmate, Eliza Wallner. With two tre- 
mendous bounds he was at the window, and, raising himself 
up, laid his forepaws on the window-sill, and stretched out his 
head, waiting longingly for the appetizing sausage. 

“ Come, Phylax, come,” whispered Eliza ; and she stepped 
back with the sausage into the interior of the room. “ Come 
to me, Phylax, come to me.” 

The temptation was too strong. Phylax hesitated no 
longer ; he moved back a step, and leaped through the win- 
dow into the room. 

The window was closed behind him immediately, and the 
four-footed custodian of the prisoner was now a prisoner him- 
self. 


242 


ANDREAS EOFER. 


The yard was empty now. Schropfel slept soundly in his 
bed-chamber up-stairs, and Phylax was revelling in epicurean 
joys in the larder. 

The yard was empty now, but not long, for the door of the 
house opened noiselessly, and a human form stepped out. 
For a moment it stood still near the door, and two voices were 
heard whispering in a low tone. 

“Good-by, dearest mother,” said one voice. “It is time 
now, I must go.” 

“ God and the Holy Virgin will protect you, dear Lizzie,” 
said the other voice : “ for that which you are going to do is 
right and noble ; and father himself will see before long that 
you did right. Go, Lizzie, and return safely.” 

“ I shall be back at eight in the morning,” whispered Lizzie. 
“Until then, you must say nothing about it, dear mother, 
but tell father I wished to be alone in my chamber till the 
wedding-hour. Good-by until then.” 

She imprinted a kiss on her mother’s lips, and hastened 
into the yard. The door was closed softly. At this moment 
the church-clock struck two. 

Eliza glided noiselessly across the yard toward the large 
ladder leaning against the stable. She lifted it up with vig- 
orous hands, carried it across the yard, and placed it against 
the dwelling-house, so that its top reached the open window 
of the prisoner. She examined if the ladder stood firm, laid a 
few stones at its foot, to prevent it from sliding, and then as- 
cended it with cat like agility, carrying a small bundle on her 
arm, while she had put down another in the yard. 

Now she had reached the captain's window. 

“ Are you awake, sir ? ” she asked, in a low voice. 

“I am, Eliza,” whispered a voice inside. “I have been 
awake and waiting for you an hour.” 

“Take this, sir,” she said, handing the bundle into the 
window. “It is a suit of clothes which you must put on. It 
is my father’s holiday dress, for you must not wear the Bava- 
rian uniform now. You must put up for a few days with 
being disguised as a Tyrolese. Put it on quickly, and then 
wrap up your uniform in the blanket in which I brought the 
suit of clothes. But make haste, and when you are ready, 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


243 


descend the ladder, and come down into the yard, where I 
shall await you. Bring the package with the uniform with 
you, and, above all things, make haste.” 

She gave the captain no time for reply, hut glided rapidly 
and noiselessly down the ladder. On arriving in the yard, 
she took the haversack which she had left there, hung it over 
her shoulder, and took up the rifle. Then she seated herself 
quietly on a large log close to the ladder, and looked up to 
the moon, which illuminated her face and her whole form. 
Her face wore a wonderfully calm expression ; only round 
her crimson lips quivered at times something like hidden 
grief, and a tear glistened in her large, dark eyes. But when 
this tear rolled down her cheek slowly, Eliza shook her head 
indignantly, and brushed it away with her hand. 

“Foolish girl ! ” she murmured, “how can you weep now ? 
You must bravely take your heart in your hands now, and 
hold it so firmly that it can neither cry nor tremble. You 
must be proud and stiff, and never forget what is due to your 
honor, and what you owe to your friend Elza. Therefore, do 
not weep, but be a brave Tyrolese girl. To-morrow night you 
may weep in your chamber, for nobody will see you there ; 
but not to-night — no, no, not to-night ! ” 

She shook her head violently, forced herself to smile, and 
gazed pleasantly up to the moon. “ God bless thee, golden, 
rapid wanderer ! ” she said. “ Thou shalt accompany us to- 
night, and pray, dear moon, send all clouds home, and remain 
as bright and clear as now ; for our route is a dangerous one, 
and if thou dost not help us, we may easily fall into an abyss, 
and— Hush, hush, he is coming.” 

She rose and looked up to the window, whence the captain 
emerged at this moment, and appeared on the ladder. 

“ Throw down your package, sir— I will catch it,” whis- 
pered Eliza. 

“ Thank you, I can carry it myself,” said Ulrich, in a low 
voice ; and he was soon at the foot of the ladder, and standing 
in the yard close to Eliza. 

“Now come,” she said ; “tread lightly, and do not speak, 
but go softly behind me.” 

She left him no time for reply, but walked across, opened 


244 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the door of the small shed, which was ajar, went quickly 
through it, and passed through the opposite door into the 
orchard lying behind it. She stood still in front of the door 
of the shed, and when Ulrich had emerged from it, she locked 
it, and put the key into her pocket. 

“Now let us walk as fast as possible, sir,” she whispered. 
“We must walk for three hours. Keep your eyes on me, and 
follow me wherever I go.” 

“ I will follow you, Eliza,” said the captain, earnestly, 
“ wherever you go. You see I have implicit confidence in 
you, for I do not even ask whither you intend to conduct me, 
or what you wish to do with me. I place my life and my 
future in your hands, and shall do whatever you want me to.” 

“It will he the best for you,” she said, nodding her head 
slightly. “Now come.” 

And with the quick, firm step peculiar to the Tyrolese, she 
advanced through the garden, out of the gate, and into the 
narrow path leading through the valley and up to the moun- 
tains rising on the opposite side. The moon still shone 
brightly upon the valley, and illuminated the two forms rap- 
idly walking behind each other, casting their long, dark 
shadows on the side of the road. 

Ulrich von Hohenberg saw in the moonlight that Eliza 
was carrying the haversack and rifle ; he therefore advanced 
quickly until he stood by her side, and laid his hand on her 
arm. 

“ Eliza,” he said, vehemently, “ pray let me carry the rifle 
and the haversack ; let me take your burden upon myself.” 

She looked at him with a singular expression. “Every one 
has to carry his own burden,” she said ; “you have yours, and 
I have mine.” 

“But what are the arms for, Eliza ? You have armed your- 
self against me?” 

She shrugged her shoulders carelessly. “Were I afraid of 
you, I would not allow you to walk behind me. But grant 
me one request, will you ? ” 

“ Speak, Eliza, and whatever it may be, I will comply with 
it.” 

“Well, then, sir, be so kind as not to speak with me. 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


245 


Speaking exhausts us and makes us absent-minded. We 
have a long march before us, and must save our breath, and 
devote our whole attention to the route ; for it will lead us 
over the narrow paths of the chamois-hunters, and a single 
false step may hurl us into an abyss. Therefore, sir, pray do 
not address me until I speak to you.” 

“ I will obey,” said Ulrich, humbly. u Lead the way ; I 
will follow.” 

She nodded to him, and advanced through the narrow 
valley. The road soon became steeper, and led them past 
precipices, from one rock to another, all of which were spanned 
by narrow planks, under which unfathomable chasms yawned. 
Then it led through thickets of shrubbery and pine-forests, or 
down precipitous slopes, and over small fragments of rock, 
which gave way at every step, and rolled into the depth. 
Eliza suddenly stood still and broke the silence for the first 
time. 

“ You must not go behind me here, sir,” she said, “ for 
the loose stones would not permit you to advance. Come 
to me, and give me your hand. We must walk side by 
side.” 

He was immediately by her side, and took her hand. 
“ May I speak now, Eliza ? ” he asked. 

“ No,” she said, imperatively, “ we have no time for chat- 
ting. Forward ! ” 

And they continued ascending the mountain. The valley, 
and even the mountain-forest, lay already deep under them. 
Only scattered and stunted trees stood here and there, and 
finally even these disappeared entirely. The moon commenced 
paling in the heavens, and yet it did not become darker, for 
the gray twilight was lit up at times with a purple lustre ; the 
small, scudding clouds began to turn red ; the pale, foggy 
mountain-peaks colored, and a strange whispering passed 
through the air. 

Now they had reached the summit, and the peak on which 
they were standing afforded them a strikingly beautiful view. 

“ This is the place where we may rest,” said Eliza, drawing 
a deep breath. 

“ And may I speak now, Eliza ? ” asked Ulrich. 


246 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“No,” she said ; “do you not see that God is speaking 
now ? ” 

And she pointed to the part of the horizon which, radiant 
in its crimson lustre, lay at the end of the lovely valley open- 
ing before them. Gazing at it, Eliza sank noiselessly down 
on the fragment of a rock, and clasping her hands on her 
knees, she contemplated the glorious spectacle by which God 
speaks to man every morning. 

The valley was still wrapped in the gloom of twilight, but 
behind the flat and gently-rounded mountains yonder rose 
the flaming glow of radiant crimson, and sent a few purple 
clouds as heralds of the approaching majesty into the azure 
sky. A rosy hue covered the glaciers of the Venediger and 
Gross-Glockner, which looked down in proud majesty on the 
mountains bordering the valley, and which had hitherto 
-wrapped their summits in veils of glistening silver. On be- 
holding the divine majesty of the sun, they dropped their 
veils, their summits crimsoned and loomed up to the sky in 
dazzling splendor. The rays gilding them shed a lustre on 
the lower wooded mountains, greeted the spires of the churches 
rising amidst the villages, dissipated the mist which had hither- 
to filled the valley, and converted the waters of the foaming 
Isel, meandering through the valley, into liquid gold. The 
gloom entirely disappeared, and the whole landscape was radi- 
ant in its morning beauty. God had willed that there should 
be light, and the earth lay smiling and surpassingly beautiful 
under the first glowing rays of the sun. 

Eliza gazed with a rapt smile upon the sublime scene ; the 
clouds had disappeared from her brow also, and the gloom 
had vanished from her eyes. 

“ Oh, how beautiful is the world ! how beautiful is my 
dear Tyrol ! ” she exclaimed, fervently. “ I greet you, beloved 
mountains guarding our frontiers ! I greet you, Gross-Glock- 
ner and Venediger ! Yes, gaze upon the Tyrol, for now you 
may rejoice over it ! The enemy is no longer in the country, 
and I am bringing you the last Bavarian who is still here, 
that you may send him across the border. Sir,” she added, 
turning her face, illuminated by the sun, slowly to the young 
man, who had not contemplated the sun, but only her face, 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


247 


“ we must part here. I only intended to conduct you hither, 
to the Kaiser Thorl. You will now descend to the village of 
Kals, which you see in the valley yonder. Look, back there, 
its red roofs are rising out of the green shrubbery. You will 
go to the inn there, and give this letter to Lebrecht Panzl, the 
innkeeper. He is my mother’s brother, and she writes him 
in this letter to give you a reliable guide, who is to conduct 
you over the Pruschler Thorl and the Katzenstein to Heili- 
genblut. You will reach Heiligenblut in seven hours. Its 
inhabitants speak Bavarian German ; your Bavarian dialect 
will not be suspicious to them, and you will easily find there 
a guide to conduct you wherever you wish to go. You will 
find some food for to-day in the haversack here, and also 
some money, and powder and lead. Take it, sir ; here is the 
rifle, and here the haversack. Unless you have them with 
you, no one will take you for a genuine Tyrolese. There. 
Put your clothes into the sack, you can carry them better 
that way ; hang the rifle round your shoulder, and then 
adieu ! ” 

“And you think, Eliza, I can accept all this kindness and 
magnanimity ? ” cried Ulrich, vehemently; “ you think I can 
accept at your hands food, money — nay, more, my life, my 
honor, and leave you with a cold ‘ thank you,’ after denying 
and insulting you in the despair of my wounded military 
honor ? No, Eliza, you have mistaken my character. I will 
not go, I will not leave you. I followed you here to see how 
far your magnanimity and noble self-abnegation would go ; 
but now I shall return with you to Windisch-Matrey. Your 
father invited to the wedding the men who wished to kill me 
yesterday ; they will await us at the church at nine this morn- 
ing, and they shall not wait in vain. Come, Eliza, let us re- 
turn to Windisch-Matrey ; for all your kindness and magna- 
nimity I shall give you the only thing I have to give, my 
name. You will, you shall become my wife ! Come, your 
father and your friends await us at the church ; I will con- 
duct you thither and to the altar.” 

“ I will not do it,” she exclaimed proudly ; “ for, as sure as 
there is a God in heaven, I should say ‘ no ’ before the altar, 
and reject your hand.” 


248 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Well, then, do that,” he said, gently ; “ I have deserved 
this humiliation ; I owe you an opportunity to wreak your 
vengeance on me.” 

“ I do not want to avenge myself. I have sworn to myself 
and to my dear Elza to save you, and I will. Go, sir ; 
time is fleeting, and you have a march of seven hours before 
you.” 

“No, I will not go,” cried Ulrich, vehemently; “I cannot 
go, for I love you, Eliza. Oh, I have loved you a long while, 
but my haughty heart revolted at this love, and would not 
yield to it ; and yet I was deeply, passionately enamoured of 
you. But my heart did not know itself, it believed at last 
that it might hate you, when all at once your generosity, len- 
ity, and magnanimity dissipated all mists concealing my heart 
from my eyes, and I perceived how passionately I loved you. 
Oh, Eliza, beloved girl, do not turn from me ! Give me your 
hand ; let us go home ; accept my hand, become my wife ! 
Love beseeches of you now what pride refused to you before : 
accept my hand, my name ! Let us descend into the valley, 
go to the church, and he married.” 

She shook her head slowly. “ I have already told you,” 
she said, “ that I should say 1 no ’ before the altar. We do 
not belong together. You are a nobleman, and I, as you 
have often called me in your anger, am a peasant girl ; you 
are a Bavarian, and I, thank God, am again an Austrian. We 
do not belong together, and I believe it would not behoove you 
to appear with me now before the altar and marry me. For 
every one would think you took me only to save your life, 
and your honor would he lost, not only in Bavaria, but also 
here among us. The brave men would despise you, and con- 
tempt — I felt it when you looked at me so disdainfully yester- 
day — is worse than death. Go, therefore, my dear sir ; your 
honor requires it.” 

“ Well, then, you are right ; I will go. I see that I must 
not apply for your hand at this juncture. But I shall return 
so soon as peace is restored to the country, and when all these 
troubles are over. Promise me, Eliza, that you will wait for 
me and not forget me. For I swear to you, I shall return and 
marry you, in spite of the whole world.” 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 249 

“ You will not,” she said, shaking her head, “ for I shall 
not take you. I do not love you.” 

“ Eliza,” he cried, seizing her hand impetuously, and gazing 
deep into her eyes, “ you are just as much mistaken as I was 
myself. I loved you a long time without knowing it, and 
thus, sweet one, you love me too ! ” 

“ No,” she exclaimed, vehemently, and turning very pale, 
“ no, T do not love you ! ” 

“ Yes, you do,” he said, tenderly. “ I felt it, and knew it 
by the tone in which, stepping before me, and shielding me 
with your body, you exclaimed yesterday, ‘ If you shoot him, 
you shall kill me too.’ Pity and compassion do not speak 
thus ; only love has such tones of anguish, despair, and hero- 
ism. I felt it at that moment, and the blissful delight which 
filled my heart on recognizing it, made me at length conscious 
of my own love. I confessed to myself that I never should 
be able to love any other woman on earth, and never would 
marry any other woman than you. Oh, Eliza, let us no 
longer resist the happiness that is in store for us. Let the 
whole past be buried behind us. Let the future be ours, and 
with it love and happiness ! ” 

She shook her head slowly. “You have read badly in my 
heart,” she said ; “ you do not understand the letters written 
in it, and what you spell from it is false. I do not love you, 
and would never consent to become your wife. Let us drop 
the subject. We two can never be husband and wife, but we 
may remember each other as good friends. And so, sir, I will 
always remember you, and shall be glad to hear that you are 
well and happy. But let us say no more about it, and go. 
You have a march of seven hours before you ; I must be at 
home again by eight o’clock, in order not to keep the men 
waiting. Let us part, therefore.” 

“ Well, then,” sighed Ulrich, “ it is your will, and we must 
part, but not forever. I swear, by God Almighty and my 
love, I shall return when the war is over, and when the quar- 
rels of the nations are settled. I shall return to ask you if 
you will be mine, my beloved wife, and if you will at last 
crown my love with happiness. Hush, do not contradict me, 
and do not tell me again that you do not love me. I hope in 


250 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the future, and we shall see whether it will bring me happi- 
ness or doom me to despair. Farewell, then, Eliza ; and if 
you will yet give to the poor wanderer, to whom you have 
given life, food, money, and clothes, a priceless treasure, a tal- 
isman that will shield him from all temptations of the world, 
then give me a kiss ! ” 

“ No, sir ; an honest Tyrolese girl never kisses any man 
hut the one whose wife she is to be. You see, therefore, that 
I cannot give-you a kiss. Go, sir. But have you no commis- 
sions to give me for your uncle and my dear Elza ? ” 

“ Greet them both ; tell them that I love you, Eliza, and 
that you rejected my proposals.” 

“ That does not concern anybody, and only we two and the 
good God shall know it, but no one else. But, sir, give me a 
souvenir for Elza ; it will gladden her heart.” 

“I have nothing to give her,” he said, shrugging his 
shoulders. 

She pointed to the crimson Alpine roses blooming at their 
feet amidst the grass and moss. 

“ Gather some of these flowers, and give them to me,” she 
said ; “ I will take them to Elza, and tell her that you gathered 
the flowers for her.” 

He knelt down, gathered a handful of Alpine roses, and 
tied them together with a few blades of grass. “ I would,” he 
said, still kneeling in the grass, “ they were myrtles that I 
was gathering for you, Eliza, for you, my affianced bride, and 
that you would accept them at my hands as the sacred gift of 
love. There, take the bouquet for Elza, and give it to her 
with my greetings.” 

She stretched out her hand to take it ; but Ulrich, instead 
of giving it to her, pressed the bouquet to his lips, and im- 
printed an ardent kiss on the flowers ; then only did he hand 
it to Eliza. — “ Now, Eliza,” he said, “ take it. You refused me 
a kiss, but you will carry my glowing kiss home with you, 
and with it also my heart. I shall come back one day to de- 
mand of you your heart and my kiss. Farewell ! It is your 
will, and so I must go. I do not say, forget me not ; but I 
shall return, and ask you then : ‘ Have you forgotten me 2 
Will you become my wife ? 1 Until then, farewell ! ” 


ELIZA AND ULRICH. 


251 


He gazed at her with a long look of love and tenderness ; 
she avoided meeting his look, and when he saw this, a smile, 
radiant as sunshine and bliss, illuminated his features. 

“ Gro, sir,” she said, in a low voice, averting her face. 

“ I am going, Eliza,” he exclaimed. “ Farewell ! ” 

He seized her hand impetuously, imprinted on it a burning 
kiss before she was able to prevent him, dropped it, and turned 
to descend the slope with a slow step. 

Eliza stood motionless, and as if fascinated ; she gazed after 
him, and followed with an absorbed look his tall, noble form, 
descending the mountain, surrounded by a halo of sunshine. 

All at once Ulrich stood still and turned to her. k ‘ Eliza,” 
he shouted, “ did you call me ? Shall I return to you ? ” 

She shook her head and made a violent gesture indicating 
that he should not return, but said nothing ; the words choked 
in her breast. 

He waved his hand to her, turned again, and continued de- 
scending the slope. 

Eliza looked after him ; her face turned paler and paler, 
and her lips quivered more painfully. Once they opened as 
if to call him back with a cry of anguish and love ; but Eliza, 
pressing her hand violently upon her mouth, forced the cry 
back into her heart, and gazed down on Ulrich’s receding 
form. 

Already he had descended half the slope ; now he reached 
the edge of the forest, and alas ! disappeared in the thicket. 

Eliza, uttering a loud cry, knelt down, and tears, her long- 
restrained, scalding tears, streamed like rivers down her 
cheeks. She lifted her arms, her clasped hands, to heaven, 
and murmured with quivering lips : “ Protect him, my Grod, 
for Thou knowest how intensely I love him ! ” 

She remained a long time on her knees, weeping, praying, 
struggling with her grief and her love. But then all at once 
she sprang to her feet, brushed the tears from her eyes, and 
drew a deep breath. 

“ I must and will no longer weep,” she said to herself in a 
loud, imperative voice. “ Otherwise they would see that I 
had been weeping, and no one must know that. I must de- 
scend in order to be at home in time, and then I will tell 
17 


252 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


father and the other men that Ulrich never was my betrothed, 
and that I said so only to save his life. They will forgive me 
for helping him to escape when I tell them that I never loved 
him nor would have taken him, because he is a Bavarian, but 
that 1 saved him because he is a near relative of my dear Elza. 
And after telling and explaining all this to the men, I shall 
go to Elza, give her the flowers, and tell her that Ulrich sent 
them to her, and that his last word was a love-greeting for 
her. God, forgive me this falsehood ! But Elza loves him, 
and it will gladden her heart. She will preserve this bouquet 
to her wedding-day, and she will not notice that I kept one 
flower from it for myself. It is the flower which he kissed ; 
it shall be mine. I suppose, good God, that I may take it, and 
that it is no theft for me to do so ? ” 

She looked up to heaven with a beseeching glance ; then 
she softly drew one of the flowers from the bouquet, pressed it 
to her lips, and concealed it in her bosom. 

“ I will preserve this flower while I live,” she exclaimed. 
“ God strengthened my heart so that I was able to reject him ; 
but I shall love him forever, and this flower is my wedding- 
bouquet. I shall never wear another ! ” 

She extended her arms in the direction where Ulrich had 
disappeared. “Farewell!” she cried. “I greet you a thou- 
sand times, and my heart goes with you ! ” 

Then she turned and hastily descended the path which she 
had ascended with Ulrich von Hohenberg. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 

It was a wondrously beautiful morning in May ; the sun 
shone clear and bright ; the birds sang in all the shrubs and 
trees, and the gay spring flowers exhaled their fragrant odors 
in all the gardens. Nature had donned its holiday attire, and 
yet humanity was in mourning ; the sun shone clear and 
bright, and yet the eyes of men were sombre and lustreless, 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


253 


and instead of rejoicing oyer the fresh verdure and the blos- 
soms of spring, they grieved, and their hearts were frozen 
with care and pain. 

For the Emperor Napoleon had raised his proud hand again 
against Germany ; he had defeated the Austrians at Eatisbon 
and Landshut, and made his triumphant entrance into Vienna 
on the 12th of May, 1809. 

For the second time the imperial family, fleeing from the 
victorious Napoleon, had been compelled to leave the capital ; 
for the second time the foreign emperor occupied the palace 
of Schonbrunn, and Vienna had to bow again to the will of 
the all-powerful conqueror. The Emperor Francis had es- 
caped with his wife and children to Hungary, and Vienna, 
whose inhabitants had at first sworn enthusiastically to defend 
their city to the last man, and lay it in ashes rather than sur- 
render it to the French, had nevertheless opened its gates al- 
ready on the 12th of May to the Emperor Napoleon and his 
army. It had to bow to stern necessity, for during the pre- 
vious night the Archduke Maximilian, with the weak forces 
with which he had been ordered to defend Vienna, had evacu- 
ated the city, had burned the great bridge of Thabor to pre- 
vent Napoleon from pursuing him, and had succeeded in es- 
caping, leaving it to the Viennese to make terms with the 
conqueror and invoke his clemency and generosity. They 
had thus been obliged to conceal their rage and exasperation 
in their hearts, and surrender to the tender mercies of the 
French emperor ; they had opened their gates to the enemy, 
but not their hearts. Their hearts were filled with boundless 
rage and shame, which brought wild imprecations to the lips 
of the men, and tears to the eyes of the women. 

Joseph Haydn, the silver-haired octogenarian, had still the 
heart of a fiery man in his bosom, and his trembling lips 
cursed the conqueror, the relentless foe of Austria, and called 
down the wrath of Heaven on the French emperor, who al- 
ways spoke of peace and conciliation, and always stirred up 
quarrels and enmities. The latest reverses of Austria had pro- 
duced a most painful impression upon the aged maestro, and 
the ravishing joy which had illuminated Joseph Haydn’s face 
at the performance of “ The Creation,” had long since disap- 


254 : 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


peared from his careworn and mournful countenance. His 
eyes were gloomy and dim, and often veiled with tears ; and 
when he played his imperial hymn, as he did every morning, 
he could not sing to it, for tears choked his voice, and the 
words, so full of confidence and triumphant hope, seemed to 
him a bitter mockery. 

He led now a very quiet and lonely life at his small house 
in the Mariahilf suburb, and he did not even leave it, as he 
had formerly always done, on Sundays, in order to go to mass. 
The sight of the French uniforms wounded his heart, and 
he grieved on seeing his beloved Viennese oppressed and hu- 
miliated. 

“ God is every where,” said Haydn to his faithful servant 
Conrad, “ and He will hear my prayer even though I should 
utter it in my quiet closet, and not at church. But to-day, 
my friend, I will pray to God in the open air. See how glori- 
ously the sun shines, and how blue the sky is ! To-day is 
Sunday. Let us, therefore, put on our Sunday clothes. Con- 
rad, give me the fine ring which the great King of Prussia 
presented to me, and then come to hear mass in my little 
garden. ” 

Conrad fetched quickly the Sunday clothes of his master ; 
he helped him to put on the silken and silver-embroidered 
coat, and put the large diamond idng, which Frederick the 
Great had one day sent to the great master of harmony, on 
his finger. Then he handed him his hat and his strong cane, 
which was adorned with a golden cross-piece, that the totter- 
ing octogenarian might lean on it. Joseph Haydn now left 
the room slowly, his right hand leaning on his cane, his left 
arm resting on the shoulder of his servant. Behind him 
walked with a grave step the old cat, an heirloom from 
Haydn’s lamented wife, and hence highly prized and hon- 
ored by the aged maestro. Purring softly, now raising 
its beautiful long tail, now rolling it up, the cat followed close 
in the footsteps of its master, through the hall and across the 
yard to the small garden. 

“ How beautiful it is here ! ” said Haydn, standing still in 
the door of the garden, and slowly looking around at the 
flowers and shrubbery, the humming bees and flitting butter- 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


255 


flies. “Oh, how gloriously beautiful is God’s creation, and 
how radiant — ” 

“ How radiant is nature,” interrupted Conrad ; “ how 
brilliantly the sun shines, and how splendid the lawn looks ! ” 

“ You are a fool, old Conrad, to repeat these words from 
my ' Creation,’ ” said Haydn, with a gentle smile. “ I was not 
thinking of my ‘ Creation ’ at this moment, but of God’s crea- 
tion. And He certainly knew more about the music of the 
creation than I did, and — just listen how the nightingale 
sings in the elder-bush yonder ! It is an air such as is to be 
found only in God’s Creation, and, as Joseph Haydn, with all 
his talents and enthusiasm, never was able to compose. Oh, 
how sweetly this prima donna assoluta of the good God sings, 
and what divine melodies, modulations, and harmonies she 
warbles forth, and— But what is that ? ” 

“ That is the parrot singing an air from Joseph Haydn’s 
‘ Creation,’ ” exclaimed Conrad, bursting into triumphant 
laughter. u And just listen, doctor, the prima donna assoluta 
of the good God has become entirely silent, and listens with 
delight to the divine melodies, modulations, and harmonies of 
my dear master Joseph Haydn.” 

“ You are a fool, Conrad, despite your seventy years,” said 
Haydn, “ to call old Paperl my prima donna assoluta, and 
compare him with the nightingale. But tell me, for God’s 
sake, where did the bird hear that melody ? Why, Paperl 
whistles the great base-air from ‘ The Creation ’ as though he 
were the first singer. Where did he learn it ? ” 

“ I taught him the melody, doctor,” said Conrad, proudly ; 
“ I gave him lessons for three months, and he took pains to 
learn the melody, for he knew full well that we two were pre- 
paring a little surprise and joy for our dear master, the great 
Joseph Haydn.” 

“ And that is the reason why I have not seen Paperl for so 
long,” said Haydn, nodding his head gently. “ I did not wish 
to inquire after him, for I was afraid the answer would he 
that the bird was dead and had gone home to my dear old 
wife. ” 

“ Well, I am sure Paperl would never go to her,” said Con- 
rad, laughing ; “ the two could never get along with each 


256 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


other, and were always quarrelling. Whenever Paperl could 
catch one of your wife’s fingers, he hit it with his thick beak, 
and she hated the bird cordially for it, and would have pre- 
ferred sending him to the grave than descending into it her- 
self. But Paperl did not die, and you need not be anxious on 
his account, doctor. Such parrots live a thousand years. 
Therefore, I locked him up in my chamber for three months, 
and taught him the beautiful air, that the bird might whistle 
it to mankind a thousand years hence, and remind all of the 
great composer, Joseph Haydn.” 

“ Ah, my dear old Conrad,” sighed Haydn, sinking into the 
easy -chair which Conrad had placed for him under the fra- 
grant elder-bush, “ a thousand years hence no one will know 
any thing about us, and we shall be nothing but dust returned 
t > dust. But God will remain, and His sun will shine a thou- 
sand years hence as gloriously as it does to-day ; and His 
nightingales will sing the same wonderful melodies from His 
creation long after my ‘ Creation ’ has been forgotten.” 

He paused, and clasping his hands devoutly, lifted his eyes 
to heaven. By his side, on the high pole, its right leg fastened 
to it with a small silver chain, the parrot sat, and fixed its 
piercing, sagacious eyes upon him ; the cat lay at Haydn’s 
feet, and gazed with philosophical equanimity at the flies 
which were buzzing from flower to flower, and pricked up its 
ears attentively whenever a small bird rustled in the shrub- 
bery, or skipped merrily from branch to branch in the fra- 
grant walnut tree. Beside the easy-chair stood Conrad, the old 
servant, his faithful, honest face turned toward his master 
with an expression of infinite tenderness, and quite absorbed 
in contemplating this mild, smiling, and calm octogenarian, 
whose eyes were looking around slowly, and seemingly greet- 
ing God and Nature. In the distance bells were ringing and 
calling devout worshipers to divine service ; their notes re- 
sounded tremulously through the air like a solemn accompani- 
ment to the voices of Nature. 

“Oh, how beautiful, how beautiful !” murmured Haydn. 
“ Why can I not exhale with this sigh of joy my old life, 
which is no longer good for any thing ? Why can I not die 
with this prayer of gratitude toward God on my lips, and waft 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 257 

my soul up to heaven, as that bird yonder is at this moment 
soaring toward the sun ! ” 

“ Oh, sir, why do you talk already of dying ? ” cried 
Conrad, anxiously ; “ you must live yet a long while, a 
joy to mankind, and honored and esteemed by the whole 
world.” 

“ And a burden to myself,” sighed Haydn. “ I am ex- 
hausted, Conrad ; I have no longer strength enough to live. 
This unfortunate war crushed to the ground and broke my 
poor heart.* When Napoleon made his second entrance into 
Vienna, and our good Emperor Francis had to escape again 
from the capital, I felt as though my heart were rent asunder, 
and this rent will never heal again. The misfortunes of my 
fatherland will cause me to bleed to death ! Ah, how dread- 
ful it is that Austria and my emperor were humiliated so pro- 
foundly, and that they had to bow to the Emperor of the 
French ! I cannot comprehend why the Lord permits it, and 
'why He does not hurl dow 7 n His thunderbolts upon the head 
of this hypocritical French emperor, who throws the firebrand 
of war into all parts of Europe, who always has pharisaical 
words of peace in his mouth, and gives himself the appearance 
of wishing to reconcile all, when he is intent only on setting 
all at variance. Oh, Conrad, when I think of this Emperor 
Napoleon, of the innocent blood w r hich he has already shed, 
and of the many thousand victims which have alreadv fallen 
to his ambition, my heart swells up in boundless exasperation, 
and I begin to doubt even the goodness and justice of God ! — 
But hush, hush, my wild heart,” he interrupted himself, lifting 
his eyes with a beseeching glance to heaven. “ God will man- 
age everything for the best. He will one day, with a beck of 
His hand, hurl the French usurper from his throne, and cause 
Austria to rise great and powerful from her humiliating posi- 
tion. He will protect Germany from the wrongs inflicted 
upon her by France, and avenge the disgrace which every 
German has to suffer at the hands of the French. That is the 
hope which I shall take with me into my grave ; that is the 
confidence I have in Thee, O my God ! ” 

He lifted both his hands toward heaven, and prayed in a 

* Haydn’s own words. — “Zeitgenossen,” vol. iv., p. 36. 


258 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


low voice. Then he rose slowly from his chair, and turned 
his head with smiling greetings on all sides. 

“ Conrad,” he said, gently, “ I take leave of Nature to-day, 
for it seems to me as if I never should see again my dear little 
garden, the flowers and birds, the sun and the sky. Oh, fare- 
well, then, great and holy Nature ! I have loved thee pas- 
sionately all my life, and glorified thee in my works to the 
best of the power which God imparted to me. Farewell, 
Nature ! farewell, sunshine and fragrant flowers ! Joseph 
Haydn takes leave of you, for his task is fulfilled, and his 
soul is weary. Come, my old Conrad, conduct me back to the 
house. I will return to my room. I am tired, ah, so exceed- 
ingly tired ! ” 

He passed his arm around Conrad’s neck, and, leaning his 
other hand on his cane, walked slowly and pantingly up the 
narrow path. 

At this moment the nightingale in the elder-bush recom- 
menced its jubilant song, and at the same time the parrot 
raised its shrill voice, and began to whistle the sweet notes of 
the air from Haydn’s “ Creation.” 

Haydn stood still and listened. “ Conrad,” he said, in a 
low voice, “ we will now consult an oracle as to my life and 
death. If the parrot pauses first, I shall die soon ; if the 
nightingale pauses, God will permit me to live a while 
longer.” 

He lifted his eyes devoutly to the sky, over whose azure 
plain white cloudlets were scudding like silver swans, and his 
lips muttered a low prayer. 

The nightingale still sang its wonderful love-songs, and 
the parrot tried to drown its notes with Haydn’s beautiful 
melody. 

Conrad smiled blissfully. “ My Paperl has a long breath,” 
he said, “and the nightingale will be unable to cope with 
him ; Rupert will outsing it. ” 

But the nightingale, as if irritated by this rivalry, now 
seemed to put forth its whole art and strength. The ringing 
trills were followed by long, sweet, flute-notes, which filled 
the air like a joyous hymn of tenderness, drowning the 
voices of all other birds, and the sighing breeze, and seemed 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


259 


to arouse the flowers from their sweet slumber, till they trem- 
bled with blissful transports, and softly raised their flowery 
crowns toward the blooming elder, in whose dark foliage was 
concealed the nightingale, Nature’s great and yet modest 
artiste. 

Yes, all Nature seemed to listen with blissful attention to 
this wonderful song of the nightingale, and even the parrot 
could no longer resist the charm. Paperl hesitated, then com- 
menced again, hesitated a second time, and was silent. 

Haydn dropped his clasped hands slowly, and turned his 
eyes from heaven to earth. “ I knew it full well,” he mur- 
mured ; “ the oracle has decided my fate, and Joseph Haydn’s 
‘ Creation ’ is silenced by God’s creation. Come into the 
house, Conrad ; I am cold and tired. But first give me a few 
of my fragrant friends, my dear flowers. They shall speak to 
me in my room of the splendor and beauty of the world.” 

Conrad gathered hastily a full bouquet of roses, pinks, and 
elder-flowers, dried the tears filling his eyes, and conducted 
his master carefully back into the house. 

He had just seated him in his easy -chair, and placed the 
embroidered cushion under his feet, when the shrill street-bell 
resounded in the hall. 

“ Go and see who is there,” said Haydn, holding the bou- 
quet in both his hands, and contemplating it with loving eyes. 

Conrad slipped out of the room and returned in a few min- 
utes. 

“ There is a stranger from Berlin,” he said, “ who begged 
me urgently to admit him to Dr. Haydn. Mr. Schmid, the 
manager of the theatre, is with him, and requests you to see 
the stranger, who, he says, is a celebrated poet.” 

“ If Schmid is with him, let them come in,” said Haydn, 
mildly ; “ it will doubtless be the last time I shall see my dear 
old friend on earth.” 

Conrad threw open the door, and beckoned the gentlemen, 
who w T ere standing outside, to come in. The two crossed the 
threshold softly on tiptoe, and with faces expressive of pro- 
found reverence ; as if seized with compassion or pious awe, 
they stood still at the door, and gazed with eyes full of tender- 
ness upon Haydn, who, at this moment, overcome perhaps 


260 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


by the spring air, had closed his eyes, and not heard the en- 
trance of the visitors. 

“ That is he,” whispered one of the two, a man of a tall, erect 
form, with a face radiant with understanding and sagacity. 
“ That is he ! ” he repeated, fixing his ardent eyes on the com- 
poser. 

“Yes, that is Joseph Haydn.” said the other, in a low voice, 
and an expression of profound grief overspread his broad, 
good-natured face. “ But hush ! he opens his eyes.” 

And he approached Haydn, who held out both his hands 
to him, and greeted him with a gentle smile. 

“ Do you come to bid farewell to your old friend once more 
previous to his death ? ” he asked, mildly. “ Do you wish to 
take leave of me, my dear friend Schmid ? ” 

“ No, I do not come to bid you farewell, but wish you good- 
day,” said Schmid, warmly, “ and pray you to receive this 
gentleman here kindly. It is Iffland, the celebrated actor and 
poet from Berlin. He had come to Vienna before the French 
took the city, and after its capture he could no longer get out: 
they detained him, and it was not until now that, by dint of 
the most pressing solicitations, he received permission to re- 
turn to Berlin.” 

“ But I could not leave Vienna without seeing the great 
Haydn,” exclaimed Iffland, in his fine, sonorous voice. 
“ What would the people of Berlin think of me if I had 
not seen the most illustrious genius of our time ? ” 

“ Sir,” said Haydn, with a sigh, “ look at me, and learn 
from my weakness how fragile man is with all his glory.” 

“ Man alone is fragile, but genius is immortal,” exclaimed 
Iffland, “and Joseph Haydn is a genius whose glory will 
never die.” 

“ Let my footman tell you the glory of the nightingale 
and the parrot,” said Haydn, with a faint smile. “The 
works of man are perishable, but the works of God last 
forever.” 

“ But the works of man come likewise from God, for it was 
He who gave him the strength to create them,” replied Iffland, 
warmly. “ Did not the great and glorious creations of your 
genius come just as much from God as the flowers which you 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


261 

hold in your hand, and the perfumes of which delight you 
so visibly ? ” 

“ Yes, these flowers are beautiful,” said Haydn, musingly. 

“The bouquet is doubtless a gift from one of the many 
fair admirers of our maestro f ” asked Schmid, laughing. 

Haydn looked up to him smilingly and shook his head 
gently. “ No,” he said, “it is the last souvenir of Nature, to 
which I have bidden farewell. I worshipped to-day in the 
open air, and this is the rosary with which I will pray. Ah, 
I love Nature so passionately ! ” 

“ And you have taught those whose eyes and ears were 
closed against the holy charms of Nature, how to see and 
hear,” said Iffland. “ Your * Seasons ’ is the most glorious 
hymn on God’s splendid world.” 

“Yes, the ‘Seasons,’” cried Haydn, almost vehemently, 
“ gave me the death-blow. It was so difficult for me to de- 
rive enthusiasm from the words of the text. The words said 
so little, really so very little ! Frequently a single passage 
caused me a great deal of trouble for several days, and I did 
not succeed after all in expressing the idea I wished to convey 
to the hearers. The words were a dead weight on my music. 
Well, it is all over now. Yes, you see, it is all over now. 
The ‘ Seasons ’ is to blame for it, for it exhausted my last 
strength. I have had to work hard all my lifetime ; I had to 
suffer hunger, thirst, and cold in my wretched attic, whence 
I had to descend a hundred and thirty steps before reaching 
the street. Privations, hard work, hunger, in short, all that 
I suffered in my youth, are now exerting their effects on me 
and prostrating me. But it is an honorable defeat — it is hard 
work to which I am succumbing. However, God assisted 
me. I never felt it more strikingly than this very day, and 
therefore I am so happy, oh ! so happy, that I must shed tears of 
blissful emotion. Do not laugh at me on this account. I am 
a weak old man, and when any thing affects me profoundly, 
I must weep. It was otherwise in former years. Ah, in 
former years ! ” He turned his tearful eyes toward the win- 
dow, and gazed into vacancy. “ In former years my mind 
was strong and vigorous,” he sighed, “ and when I wrote my 
‘ Creation,’ a manly fire filled my heart.” 


262 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Your enthusiasm is imprinted on your great work, and it 
will never disappear from it,” said Iffland. “ Joseph Haydn’s 
‘Creation’ is immortal and full of eternal youth. The 
Viennese proved it to you on hearing your sublime music the 
other day.” 

“ But I proved to them that I had become so feeble that I 
could no longer bear listening to my own music. I had 
to leave the room long before the performance was at an 
end.” 

“ You ought not to have gone to the concert at all,” said 
Schmid. The excitement might have been injurious to your 
health.” 

“ It was injurious to me,” said Haydn, “ hut considerations 
of health had no right to prevent me from being present. It 
was not the first time that homage had been rendered to 
Haydn, and I wished to show that I was able to hear it this 
time too. Ah, it was a glorious evening, and never did I hear 
a better performance of my ‘ Creation.’ ” 

“ It was the great composer’s apotheosis which the musi- 
cians and singers were celebrating,” said Iffland, deeply 
moved. 

“ It is true the Viennese have done a great deal for me. 
They are so good, and they love me dearly.” 

“ Oh, the Viennese are not ahead of the people of Berlin in 
this respect,” exclaimed Iffland. “ In Berlin, too, every one 
knows and loves the great Joseph Haydn, and his ‘ Creation’ 
is likewise recognized there as a masterpiece. It was per- 
formed in Berlin quite recently at a charity concert, the re- 
ceipts of which amounted to over two thousand dollars.” 

“Over two thousand dollars for the poor,” said Joseph 
Haydn, with beaming eyes; “oh, my work, then, gave the 
poor a good day. That is splendid, that is the most beautiful 
reward for a life of toils and privations. But,” he added, after 
a brief pause, “ it is all over now. I can no longer do any 
thing. I am a leafless tree, which will break down to-day or 
to-morrow.” 

“ The fall of this tree will move the whole of Germany as 
a great calamity befalling every lover of his country.” 

“Yes, it is true, much love has been manifested for me, 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


2G3 


much homage has been rendered to me,” said Haydn, mus- 
ingly. 

“ All nations and all princes have rendered homage to you,” 
exclaimed Iffland. “ The laurel- wreath, for which we other 
poets and artists are struggling all our lifetime, and which is 
generally bestowed upon us only after we are in the grave, 
was long since granted to you in the most flattering and grati- 
fying manner. Europe has presented you, not with one, hut 
with many laurel-wreaths, and you may look back on your 
life like a victorious hero, for each of your exploits was a 
triumph for which you received laurel-wreaths and trophies.” 

“ Yes, I have many souvenirs of my past,” said Haydn, 
smilingly. “ I will show them to you. — Conrad, give me my 
treasures.” 

Conrad opened the drawer of the large writing-tabJe which 
was standing close to Haydn, and which contained a great 
many large and small etuis , caskets and boxes. 

“You shall see my treasures now,” exclaimed Haydn, 
cheerfully. In the first place, he showed them a beautiful 
casket made of ebony and gold. It was a gift with which the 
young Princess Esterhazy had presented the beloved and 
adored friend of her house only a few weeks ago, and on 
whose lid was painted a splendid miniature representing t^e 
scene at the last performance of “ The Creation,” when Haydn 
received the enthusiastic homage of the audience. He then 
showed them the large gold medal sent him, in 1800, from 
Paris, by the two hundred and fifty musicians who, on Christ- 
mas evening in that year, had performed “ The Creation,” and 
thereby delighted all Paris. Then followed many other med- 
als from musical societies and conservatories, and valuable 
diamond rings, snuff-boxes, and breastpins from kings and 
emperors. Last, Haydn showed them, with peculiar emotion, 
the diploma of citizenship which the city of Vienna had con- 
ferred on him. It was contained in a silver case, and its 
sight caused his eyes even now to flash with the most intense 
satisfaction. 

He had placed on the table before him every piece, after 
showing it to them and explaining its meaning ; and now 
that all the treasures were spread out before him, he con- 


264 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


templated them with a blissful smile, and nodded to them as 
if to dear old friends. 

“ Do not laugh at me,” he said, lifting his eyes to Iffland, 
almost beseechingly. “ I am fondly attached to these things, 
and hence it delighted me to look at them from time to time 
with my friends. You will say they are the playthings of an 
old man. But they are more than that to me ; on beholding 
them, I think of my past life, and my recollections render me 
young again for a few moments. After my death all these 
things will pass into dear hands, and I hope that, when I am 
slumbering in my grave, my souvenirs will be carefully pre- 
served and honored if only for my sake.” * 

“I hope the day is distant when Germany will have to 
lament the death of her favorite, Joseph Haydn,” exclaimed 
Iffland. 

“ That day is close at hand,” said Haydn, calmly ; “ I feel 
to-day more distinctly than ever before that my end is draw- 
ing nigh. My strength is exhausted.” 

“ Let us go,” whispered Schmid, pointing to Haydn, who 
had feebly sunk back into his easy-chair, and was leaning his 
pale head against the cushions. 

Iffland fixed his eyes for a long time with an expression of 
heart- felt grief on the groaning, broken form reposing in the 
easy-chair. 

“ And that is all that is left of a great composer, of a genius 
who delighted the whole world ! ” he sighed. “ Ah, what a 
fragile shell our body is, a miserable dwelling for the soul 
living in it ! Come, my friend, let us softly leave the room. 
Only I would like to take a souvenir with me, a flower from 
the bouquet which Haydn held in his hands. May I venture 
to take one ? ” 

At this moment Haydn opened his eyes again, and fixed 
them with a gentle expression on Iffland. “ I heard all you 
said,” he remarked ; “ but I was too feeble to speak. You 
wish to get one of my flowers ? No, you shall have them 
all.” 

He took the bouquet, looked at it tenderly, and buried his 

* Haydn bequeathed all his trinkets and manuscripts to the Esterhazy 
family, who had honored him so highly during his whole life. 


THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 


265 


whole face for a moment in the flowers, and then handed it to 
Iffland with a gentle smile. 

“ Farewell,” he said ; “ remember me on looking at these 
flowers. I would I had known you in happier days, when I 
should have been able to enjoy your genius and admire your 
art. You must be a great actor, for you have a wonderfully 
sonorous and pliable voice. I should like to hear you de- 
claim, even though you should recite but a few verses.” 

“ Permit me, then, to recite the lines in which Wieland 
celebrated your ‘ Creation,’ ” said Iffland ; and, advancing a 
few steps, holding the bouquet in his hand, and fixing his 
gleaming eyes on Haydn, who gazed at him with a gentle 
smife, Iffland recited in his full sonorous voice Wieland’s 
beautiful lines : 

“ Wie strom’t dein wogender Gesang 
In nns’re Herzen ein ! Wir sehen 
Her Schopfung macht’gen Gang, 

Hen Hauch des Herrn auf dem Gewasser wehen ; 

Jetzt durch ein blitzend Wort das erste Licht entstehen, 

Und die Gestirne sich durch ihre Bahnen drehen ; 

Wie Baum und Pfianze wird, wie sich der Berg erhebt, 

Und froh des Lebens sich die jungen Thiere regen. 

Her Honner rollet uns entgegen ; 

Her Regen sauselt, jedes Wesen strebt 

In’s Hasein ; und bestimmt, des Schopfers Werk zu kronen 

Sehn wir das erste Paar, gefiihrt von Heinen Tonen. 

Oh, jedes Hochgefiihl, das in dem Herzen schlief, 

1st wach ! Wer rufet nicht : wie schon ist diese Erdef 
Und schoner, nun ihr Herr auch dich in’s Hasein rief, 

Auf dass sein Werk vollendet werde ! ” * 

* “ Thy wondrous song in melting strains 
To our mute hearts swift entrance gains ; 

By magical yet unfelt force, 

We see creation’s mighty course : 

The firmament appears in space — 

God breathes upon the water’s face. 

One flashing word bids primal light appear, 

Revolving stars begin their vast career ; 

Upheaving mountains now are seen, 

Tall trees and tender herbage green ; 


266 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


After concluding his recitation, Iffland approached the 
old man quickly, knelt down before him and imprinted a 
kiss on his clasped hands. Then, without adding another 
word, he rose, and, walking backward as if before a king, ap 
proached the door, opened it softly, and went out, followed by 
Schmid.* 

u Farewell ! ” exclaimed Haydn, in a deeply-moved voice, 
and sank back in the easy-chair. Profound silence now 
reigned around him ; but all at once this silence was broken 
by a thundering crash, which caused the windows to rattle 
and shook the walls. The deafening noise was repeated again 
and again, and rolled through the air like the angry voice of 
God. 

And now the door opened, and Conrad and Kate, the aged 
servant-woman, rushed into the room. “ Ah, master, master, 
it is all up now, and we are all lost ! The Austrians and the 
French are in force close to Vienna, and the battle has al- 
ready commenced.” 

u The battle has commenced ! ” exclaimed Joseph Haydn, 
rising from his easy-chair, and lifting his hand to heaven. 
“ The battle has commenced ! Good and great God in heaven, 
protect our fatherland, and grant Austria a glorious victory 
over her arrogant foe ! Do not allow Austria and Ger- 
many to succumb ; help us to defeat the proud enemy who 
has humiliated and oppressed us so long ! O Lord my God, 

Young animals to being rise, 

And animate by living cries ; 

We hear the mighty thunder roar, 

And rains in gushing torrents pour. 

All creatures struggle into life ; and stand 
Before our eyes, fresh from their Maker’s hand, 

The first pair, led by thy sweet tones. 

Now waked by inspiration’s art, 

Enthusiasm stirs our heart. 

Who cries not, ‘ Earth is passing fair ! ’ 

Y et far more fair her Maker is, 

How perfect every work of his ! ” 

* The whole account of this interview between Joseph Haydn and Iffland 
is in strict accordance with Iffland’s own report of it in his “ Theatre- Alma- 
nac,” pp. 181-207. 


TIIE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 267 

shield the honor of Germany and Austria ! Protect the em- 
peror !” 

And Joseph Haydn walked through the room with the 
vigor and alacrity of a youth, dropped his hands on the keys 
of the piano, and began to play in full concords the melody of 
his imperial hymn, “ Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser ! ” 

Conrad and Kate stood behind him, singing in a low, 
tremulous tone ; but outside, the booming of artillery con- 
tinued incessantly, and they heard also the cries of the people 
who were hurrying in dismay through the streets, and the 
tolling of all the church-bells, which called upon the Viennese 
to pray to God. 

All at once Haydn paused in the middle of the tune ; his 
hands dropped from the keys, a long sigh burst from his lips, 
and he sank fainting into the arms of his faithful Conrad. 
His servants carried him to his couch, and soon succeeded in 
restoring him to consciousness. He opened his eyes slowly, 
and his first glance fell upon Conrad, who stood weeping at 
his bedside. 

“ The nightingale was right ; my end is drawing nigh,” he 
said, with a faint smile. “ But I will not die before learning 
that the Austrians have defeated the enemy, and that my em- 
peror has gained a battle.” 

And in truth Joseph Haydn’s strong vrill once more over- 
powered death, which had already touched him with its fin- 
ger. He raised himself upon his couch ; he would not die 
while Austria was struggling on the reeking, gory field of 
battle for the regeneration or her end. 

Two days followed, two dreadful days of uncertainty and 
terror ; they heard incessantly the booming of artillery ; but 
although the Viennese gazed down from their church -steeples 
all day, they were unable to discern any thing. Tremendous 
clouds of smoke covered the country all around, and wrapped 
the villages of Aspern and Essling and the island of Lobau in 
an impenetrable veil of mist. 

Joseph Haydn passed these days, the 21st and 22d of May, 
in silent grief and gentle resignation ; he prayed often, and 
played his imperial hymn three times a day. 

Thus the morning of the 22d of May had come. Conrad 
18 


268 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


had gone into the street to ask for news, for the booming of 
artillery had ceased, and the battle was over. “ Which side 
was victorious ? ” That was the question which caused all to 
tremble, and which filled all hearts with intense anxiety. 

Haydn’s heart, too, was full of grave anxiety, and, to over- 
come his impatience till Conrad’s return, he had caused Kate 
to conduct him to his piano. 

“ I will play my imperial hymn,” he said, hastily ; “ I have 
often derived comfort and relief from it in the days of un- 
easiness and anxiety ; and when I play it my heart is always 
so much at ease. Its strength will not fail me to-day either.” * 

He commenced playing ; a blissful smile illuminated his 
features ; he lifted his radiant eyes to heaven, and his music 
grew louder and fierier, and his fingers glided more power- 
fully over the keys of the piano. Suddenly the door was 
thrown open, and Conrad rushed in, panting from the rapid 
run, flushed with excitement, but with a joyful face. 

“ Victory ! ” he shouted. “ Victory ! ” And he sank down 
at Haydn’s feet. 

“ Which side was victorious ? ” asked Haydn, anxiously. 

“ The Austrians were victorious,” said Conrad, pantingly. 

“ Our Archduke Charles has defeated the Emperor Napoleon 
at Aspern ; the whole French army retreated to the island of 
Lobau, w T hence it can no longer escape. Thousands of French 
corpses are floating down the Danube, and proclaiming to the 
world that Austria has conquered the French ! Hurrah ! 
hurrah ! Our hero, the Archduke Charles, has defeated the 
villainous Bonaparte ! Hurrah ! ” 

‘ k Hurrah ! hurrah ! ” repeated the parrot on its pole ; and 
the cat raised its head from the cushion on which it had lain, 
and gazed with keen, searching eyes at the parrot, as if it had 
understood Paperl’s jubilant notes. 

Joseph Haydn said nothing, but clasped his hands and 
looked rapturously upward. After a pause he exclaimed, in a 
loud and joyous voice : “ Lord God, I thank Thee for not dis- 
appointing my firm trust, but protecting Austria and helping 
her to vanquish her foe. I knew full well that the just cause 
would triumph, and the just cause is that of Austria ; for 

* Haydn’s own words. — See “ Zeitgenosson,” vol. iv., third series, p. 36. 


THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 


269 


France, hypocritical France alone provoked this war, and 
Austria drew the sword only to defend her honor and her 
frontiers. The just cause could not but triumph, and hence 
Austria had to conquev, and France, had to succumb in this 
struggle. God protect the Emperor Francis ! I may lay 
down now and die. Austria is victorious ! That is the last 
joyful greeting which the world sends to me. W ith this greet- 
ing I will die — ay, die ! Death is already drawing nigh. But 
Death wears a laurel- wreath on its head, and its eye is radiant 
with triumphant joy. Glory to Austria ! Glory to the Ger- 
man fatherland ! ” 

These were Joseph Haydn’s last words. He fainted away. 
It is true the physicians succeeded in restoring him to life, and 
he breathed yet for six days ; but his life resembled only the 
last feeble flicker of the dying flame, and in the night of the 
30th of May death came to extinguish this flickering flame. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 

The unheard-of event, then, had taken place. Napoleon 
had been defeated by the Austrians. The Archduke Charles 
had gained a brilliant victory ; Napoleon had transferred his 
whole army to the island of Lobau ; he himself passed his time 
in moody broodings at the castle of Ebersberg, and the unex- 
pected disaster which had befallen him, and which at the same 
time had brought about the death of one of his favorites, Mar- 
shal Lannes, seemed to have suddenly deprived the emperor 
of all his energy. He did not speak, he did not eat ; he sat for 
whole days in his cabinet, staring at the maps spread out be- 
fore him on his table, and yet forgetting to cover them, as he 
used to do on conceiving the plans of his campaigns, with the 
colored pins which represented the different armies. Victory 
had no longer been able to soften this marble Caesarean face, 
but defeat caused his features now to wear an expression of 
profound anger and grief. Nevertheless, he did not complain, 


270 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and never did he confess even to his confidants that he was 
suffering. Only once, for a brief moment, he lifted the veil 
concealing his feelings, and permitted his marshals to see into 
the innermost recesses of his soul. Marmont had dared to 
pray the emperor, in the name of all the marshals, to yield no 
longer to his grief at what had occurred, but bear in mind that 
it was incumbent on him to preserve himself for the welfare 
of his subjects and the glory of his future. Napoleon had an- 
swered with a faint smile : “ You think I am sitting here to 
brood over my misfortune ? It is true, I am burying my dead, 
and, as there are unfortunately a great many of them, it takes 
me a long time to do it. But over the tomb of the dead of 
Essling I am going to erect a monument which will be radiant 
with the splendor of victory, and on its frontispiece shall be 
read the word 4 Vengeance ! ’ The Emperor of Austria is lost. 
Had I defeated him in this battle, I should, perhaps, have for- 
given his arrogance and perfidy ; but as he defeated me, 
I must and shall annihilate him and his army.” 

While Napoleon was thus burying his dead, and reflecting 
on his “monument of vengeance,” the utmost rejoicings 
reigned at the headquarters of the Archduke Charles, the vic- 
tor of Aspern ; and all Austria, all Germany joined in these 
rejoicings, and blessed the glorious day of Bonaparte’s first 
humiliation. 

And this victory was soon followed by the news of a tri- 
umph hardly less glorious than the battle of Aspern. The Tyr- 
olese, those despised peasants, had gained a brilliant victory 
over the French veterans, and their Bavarian auxiliaries, on 
the 21st of May, on Mount Isel, near the city of Innspruck. 
Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the united forces of 
the Tyrolese, jointly with Speckbacher, Wallner, and the Cap- 
uchin Haspinger, had again defeated the Bavarians and 
French, who had re-entered the Tyrol, and delivered the pro- 
vince a second time from the enemy.. 

Count Nugent, quartermaster-general of the Archduke 
John, had entered the latter's room with this joyful news, and 
told him with sparkling eyes of the heroic deeds of the Tyro- 
lese ; of Hofer’s pious zeal ; of the bold exploits of Wallner 
and Speckbacher, whose deeds ?’ecalled the ancient heroes of 


THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 


271 


Homer ; of the intrepid Capuchin friar, Haspinger, who, with 
a huge wooden cross in his hand, led on the attack, and ani- 
mated his followers not less by his example than the assurances 
of Divine protection which he held forth. Count Nugent had 
related all these heroic deeds with fervid eloquence to the 
archduke, and yet, to his utter astonishment, the latter’s 
face had remained gloomy, and not a ray of joy had illumi- 
nated it. 

“ Your imperial highness, then, does not share my exulta- 
tion ? ” he asked, mournfully. “ You receive the news quite 
coldly and indifferently, and yet I am speaking of your be- 
loved Tyrolese, of your heroes, Andreas Hofer, Joseph Speck- 
bacher, and Anthony Wallner ! They and their heroic men 
have delivered the Tyrol a second time from the enemy, and 
your imperial highness does not rejoice at it ? ” 

“ No, my dear Count,” said the archduke, sighing, “ for 
they will lose it again. All this blood will have been shed in 
vain, and my poor Tyrol will be lost in spite of it.” 

“ You believe so ? — you who called upon the Tyrolese to 
take up arms, who invited its heroes and champions to such 
daring efforts, who are ready yourself to fight for the cour- 
ageous mountaineers to the last extremity ? ” 

“Yes, I am always ready to do so,” cried John, laughing 
bitterly, “ but what good will it do ? They will wind cun- 
ning shackles enough round my feet to make me fall to the 
ground ; they will manacle my hands again, and put my will 
into the strait-jacket of loyalty and obedience. I cannot 
do what I want to ; I am only a tool in the hands of others, 
and this will cause both my ruin and that of the Tyrol. I am 
willing to sacrifice my life for the Tyrol, and yet I shall be 
unable to save it. For the rest, my friend, I knew already 
all these particulars of the battle on Mount Isel. A courier 
from Hormayr had just reached me and brought me full 
details. I was able to send back by the courier a fine reward 
for the brave Tyrolese, a letter from the emperor, my august 
brother, which I received this morning with the order to 
forward it to them. I kept a copy of the imperial letter, for 
there may be a day when it will be necessary for me to re- 
mind the emperor of this letter. Here is the copy. Head it 


272 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


aloud, that I may hear, too, how fine the imperial words 
sound.” 

The archduke handed a paper to Count Nugent, who read 
as follows : 

“ After our arms had suffered heavy reverses, and after the 
enemy had captured even the capital of the empire, my army 
succeeded in defeating the French army under Napoleon on 
the 21st and 22d of May, on the Marshfield, and driving it in 
disorder across the Danube. The army and people of Austria 
are animated with greater enthusiasm than ever ; every thing 
justifies the most sanguine hopes. Trusting in God and my 
just cause, I declare to my loyal provinces of the Tyrol and 
Yorarlberg, that they shall never again be separated from the 
Austrian empire, and that I will sign no peace but one which 
will indissolubly incorporate these provinces with my other 
states. Your noble conduct has sunk deep into my heart ; I 
will never abandon you. My beloved brother, the Archduke 
John, will speedily be among you, and put himself at your 
head. Francis.” * 

“ And your imperial highness doubts, even after this sol- 
emn promise given to the Tyrolese by his majesty the em- 
peror ? ” 

“My friend,” said the archduke, casting a long, searching 
look round the room, “ we are alone ; no one watches, and, I 
trust, no one hears us. Let me, therefore, for once, speak 
frankly with you ; let me unbosom to you, my friend, what I 
have hitherto said to God alone ; let me forget for a quarter of 
an hour that I am a subject of the emperor, and that his 
majesty is my brother ; permit me to examine the situation 
with the eyes of an impartial observer, and to judge of men as 
a man. Well, then, I must confess to you that I cannot share 
the universal joy at the recent events, and — may God forgive 
me ! — I do not believe even in the promises which the emperor 
makes to the Tyrolese. He himself may at the present hour 
be firmly resolved to fulfil them ; he may have made up his 
mind never to sign any peace but one which will indissolubly 
incorporate the Tyrol with his empire ; but the events, and 

* Hormayr, “Das Heer von Inner- 0 ester reich unter den Befelilen des 
Erzherzogs Johann,” p. 189. 


THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COHORN. 


273 


especially men, will assuredly compel him to consent to 
another treaty of peace. You know full well that there are 
two parties about the emperor, and that there is a constant feud 
between these two parties. One wants war, the other wants 
peace ; and the peace-party is unfortunately headed by the 
Archduke Charles, the generalissimo of our army. You 
know the fawning and submissive letter which the generalis- 
simo addressed to Napoleon after the defeat of Ratisbon, and 
which Napoleon disdained to answer.* The war-party is 
headed by the empress and Count Stadion. But the empress 
has unfortunately little influence over her husband, and Count 
Stadion is no more influential than her majesty. His gener- 
ous enthusiasm and fiery impetuosity are repugnant to the 
emperor, who will remove him so soon as he has discovered a 
more submissive and obsequious successor who has as much 
work in him as Stadion. But there is one point as to which 
these incessantly quarrelling parties are agreed and join 
hands, and that is their common hostility against the arch- 
dukes, the emperor’s brothers ; so virulent is this hatred, that 
the peace- party deserts its leader in order to operate with the 
war-party against him and his interests. The Austrian no- 
bility has always claimed the privilege of filling all superior 
offices, and it is furious at seeing the archdukes animated with 
the desire of dedicating their abilities to their fatherland and 
their emperor. Hence, the nobility is decidedly opposed to 
the success of the archdukes, which might set bounds to its 

* The Archduke Charles wrote to Napoleon on the 30th of April, 1809 : 
« Your Majesty announced your arrival by a salvo of artillery ; I had no time 
to reply to it. But, though hardly informed of your presence, I speedily dis- 
covered it by the losses which I experienced. You have taken many prison- 
ers from me, sire, and I have taken some thousands from you in quarters 
where you were not personally present. I propose to your majesty to ex- 
change them, man for man, rank for rank ; and, if that proposal proves agree- 
able to you, point out the place where it may be possible to carry it into 
effect. I feel flattered, sire, in combating the greatest captain of the age ; but 
I should esteem myself much happier if Heaven had chosen me to be the in- 
strument of procuring for my country a durable peace. Whatever may be the 
events of war, or the chances of an accommodation, I pray your majesty to 
believe that my desires will always outstrip your wishes, and that lam equally 
honored by meeting your majesty either with the sword or the olive-branch 
in your hand.” 


274 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


oligarchy. It opposes me as well as the other archdukes, 
whether this opposition may endanger the interests of the 
fatherland, and even the emperor, or not. Things would be 
even more prosperous in this campaign, if the generals serv- 
ing under the archdukes had carried out the orders of their 
superiors with greater zeal, promptness, and willingness. But 
they have been intentionally slow ; they have often hesitated, 
misunderstood, or purposely forgotten their orders. They are 
intent on proving the incapacity of the archdukes in order to 
overthrow them ; and they well know that they are rendering 
a service to the emperor by doing so, for they are aware that 
the emperor does not love his brothers.” 

“ No, your imperial highness,” exclaimed Nugent, when the 
archduke paused with a sigh. “ I hope that this is going too 
far, and that you are likewise mistaken about it. It is impos- 
sible that the emperor should not love his brothers, who are 
doing so much honor to the imperial house by their surpassing 
accomplishments, virtues, and talents.” 

“My friend, you speak like a courtier,” said John, shaking 
his head, “and you exaggerate as a friend. But even though 
you were right, those qualities would not be calculated to ren- 
der the emperor’s heart more attached to us. He wants the 
emperor alone to shed lustre on, and do honor to the imperial 
house, and not the archdukes, his father’s younger sons, whom 
he hates.” 

“ No, no, your imperial highness, it is impossible that the 
emperor should hate his brothers ! ” 

“ And why impossible ?” asked John, shrugging his shoul- 
ders. “ Do not his brothers, the archdukes, hate each other ? 
Or do you believe, perhaps, that the Archduke Charles, our 
generalissimo, loves me, or even wishes me well ? I was so 
unfortunate as to be twice victorious during the present cam- 
paign, while he was twice defeated ; I beat the French at 
Sacile and St. Boniface, while he lost the battles of Landshut 
and Ratisbon. This is a crime which the archduke will never 
forgive me, and for which he will revenge himself.” 

“ Perhaps he thinks that he took a noble and glorious re- 
venge at the battle of Aspern ? ” 

“ Oh, my friend, you forgot that our mother was a daughter 


THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 


275 


of Italy, and that we, therefore, do not care for a noble and 
glorious revenge, but long for an Italian vendetta. The gen- 
eralissimo will not content himself with having obtained 
glory, but I must suffer a defeat, a disgrace, which will neu- 
tralize what few laurels I gathered at Sacile and St. Boniface. 
Oh, I know my brother the generalissimo ; I see all the little 
threads which he is spinning around me, and which, as soon as 
they are strong enough, he will convert into a net, in which 
he will catch me, in order to exhibit me to the world as an 
ignoramus and dreamer, destitute both of ability and luck as 
a general. Do not tell me that I am mistaken, my friend ; I 
have hitherto observed every thing with close attention, and 
my observations unfortunately do not deceive me. The gen- 
eralissimo is desirous of punishing me for my victories at 
Sacile and St. Boniface, and for advocating a declaration of 
war when he pronounced three times against it. He has al- 
ready several times told the emperor that I am self-willed, dis- 
obedient, and always inclined to oppose his orders by words or 
even deeds ; and the emperor always takes pleasure in inform- 
ing me of the generalissimo’s complaints. ” 

“ It is true,” sighed Count Nugent ; “ this aversion of the 
generalissimo to your imperial highness unfortunately cannot 
be denied, and you yourself have to suffer by it.” 

“ Oh,” cried John, impetuously, “ if that were all, I should 
not complain ; I should add it to the many other pin-pricks of 
my fate, and strive to bear it without murmuring. But my 
soldiers and the glory of the Austrian arms suffer by it, and it 
will destroy the liberty of the Tyrol. It is well known that 
this is my most vulnerable point ; that I love the Tyrol, and 
am determined to leave nothing undone in order to redeem 
the emperor’s pledges to preserve the Tyrol to the imperial 
house, and restore its ancient privileges and liberties. It is 
known, too, that I long intensely to live in the future days 
of peace as the emperor’s lieutenant in the Tyrol ; to live, far 
from the noisy bustle of the capital, in the peaceful seclusion 
of the mountain country, for myself, my studies, and the men 
whom I love, and who love me. Oh, my poor, unfortunate 
Tyrol will grievously suffer for the love which I bear it ; 
Austria will lose it a second time, and now, perhaps, forever.” 


276 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Does your imperial highness believe so ? ” cried Nugent, 
in dismay. “ You believe so, even after communicating to me 
the letter in which the emperor promises to the Tyrolese never 
to sign a peace that will not indissolubly incorporate the Tyrol 
and Vorarlberg with his monarchy, and in which he an- 
nounces the speedy arrival of his beloved brother John, who 
is to put himself at the head of the Tyrolese ? ” 

“ My friend, these numerous and liberal promises are the 
very things that make me distrustful, and convince me that 
they are not meant seriously. If the emperor had the pres- 
ervation of the Tyrol really at heart, and intended earnestly 
that my army should succor and save the Tyrolese, would he 
not have left me at liberty to operate according to the dictates 
of my own judgment and in full harmony with the Tyrolese, 
instead of tying my hands, and regarding and employing my 
force only as a secondary and entirely dependent corps of the 
generalissimo’s army ? Look into the past, Nugent, bear in 
mind all that has happened since we took the field, and tell 
me then whether I am right or not ? ” 

“ Unfortunately you are,” sighed Nugent ; “ I can no 
longer contradict your imperial highness, I cannot deny that 
many a wrong has been inflicted on you and us ; that you 
have have always been prevented from taking the initiative 
in a vigorous manner ; that you and your army have con- 
stantly been kept in a secondary and dependent position ; that 
your plans have incessantly been frustrated ; and that your 
superiors have often done the reverse of what you wished and 
deemed prudent and advisable.” 

“And yet they will hereafter say that I was alone to 
blame for the failure of my plans,” cried the archduke, 
with a mournful smile; “they will charge me with having 
been unable to carry out the grandiloquent promises which 
I made to the emperor and the Tyrolese, and the emperor 
will exult at the discomfiture of the boastful archduke who 
took it upon himself to call out the whole people of the 
Tyrol, put himself at their head, and successfully defend 
against all enemies this fortress which God and Nature 
erected for Austria. The faithful Tyrolese have taken up 
arms ; I am ready to put myself at their head, but already I 


THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 


277 


have been removed from the Tyrol, and my arm is paralyzed 
so that I can no longer stretch it out to take the hand which 
the Tyrol is holding out to me beseechingly. If I had been 
permitted to advance after the victories which my army 
gained over the Viceroy of Italy and Marmont, I should prob- 
ably now already have expelled the enemy from Upper Italy 
and the Southern Tyrol. But I was not allowed to follow up 
my successes ; I was stopped in the midst of my victorious 
career. Because the generalissimo’s army had been defeated 
at Ratisbon, I was compelled, instead of pursuing the enemy 
energetically and obliging him to keep on the defensive, to re- 
treat myself, and, instead of being the pursuer, be pursued by 
the forces of the viceroy. Instead of going to the Tyrol, I was 
ordered by the generalissimo to turn toward Hungary and 
unite with the volunteers in that country. No sooner had I 
done so, than I was ordered to advance again toward the 
Southern Tyrol, march upon Villach and Salzburg, unite with 
Jellachich, form a connection with Field-Marshal Giulay, 
and operate with them in the rear of the enemy, who was 
already in the immediate neighborhood of Vienna. And he 
who gave me these orders did not know that Jellachich had 
in the meantime been beaten at Wiirzl ; that Villach had 
been occupied by the French ; that I was not in the rear of 
the enemy, but that the enemy was in my rear ; he did not or 
would not know that the Viceroy of Italy was in my rear 
with thirty-six thousand men, and that the Duke of Dantzic 
was in front of my position at Salzburg. Since then we 
have been moving about amidst incessant skirmishes and in- 
cessant losses ; and scarcely had we reached Comorn to re- 
organize and re-enforce my little army, when we received 
orders to march to the island of Schiitt and toward Presburg. 
I vainly tried to remonstrate and point to the weakness and 
exhaustion of my troops ; I vainly asked for time to reorgan- 
ize my forces, when I would attack Macdonald and prevent 
him from uniting with Napoleon. I vainly proved that this 
was his intention, and that no one could hinder him from 
carrying it into effect, so soon as I had to turn toward Pres- 
burg and open to Macdonald the road to Vienna. My remon- 
strances were disregarded ; pains were taken to prove to me 


278 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


that I was but a tool, a wheel in the great machine of state, 
and the orders were renewed for me to march into Hungary. 
Well, I will submit again — I will obey again ; but I will not do 
so in silence ; I will, at least, tell the emperor that I do it in 
spite of myself, and will march to Presburg and Raab only if 
he approves of the generalissmo’s orders.” 

“ That is to say, your imperial highness is going to declare 
openly against the generalissimo ? ” 

“ No ; it is to say that I am going to inform my sovereign 
of my doubts and fears, and unbosom to him my wishes and 
convictions. You smile, my friend. It is true, I am yet a 
poor dreamer, speculating on the heart, and believing that 
the truth must triumph in the end. I shall, however, at least 
be able to say that I have done my duty, and had the courage 
to inform the emperor of the true state of affairs. I shall re- 
pair this very day to his majesty’s headquarters at Wolkers- 
dorf. I will dare once more to speak frankly and fearlessly 
to him. I will oppose my enemies at least with open visor, 
and show to them that I am not afraid of them. God knows, 
if only my own personal honor and safety were at stake, I 
should withdraw in silence, and shut up my grief and my ap- 
prehensions in my bosom ; but my fatherland is at stake, and 
so is the poor Tyrol, so enthusiastic in its love, so unwavering 
in its fidelity ; and so are the honor and glory of our arms. 
Hence, I will dare once more to speak the truth, and may God 
impart strength to my words ! ” 


CHAPTER XXV. 

THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 

The Emperor of Austria was still at his headquarters at 
Wolkersdorf. The news of the victory at Aspern had illumi- 
nated the Emperor's face with the first rays of hope, and 
greatly lessened the influence of the peace-party over him. 
The war-party became more confident ; the beautiful, pale 
face of the Empress Ludovica became radiant as it had never 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 279 

been seen before ; and Count Stadion told the emperor he 
would soon be able to return to Vienna. 

But the Emperor Francis shook his head with an incredu- 
lous smile. “ You do not know Bonaparte,” he said, “ if you 
think he will, Ijecause he has suffered a defeat, be immediately 
ready to make peace and return to France. , Now he will not 
rest before he gains a victory and repairs the blunders he has 
committed. There is wild and insidious blood circulating in 
Bonaparte's veins, and the battle of Aspern has envenomed it 
more than ever. Did you not hear, Stadion, of what Bona- 
parte is reported to have said ? He declared that there was 
no longer a dynasty of the Hapsburgs, but only the petty 
princes of Lorraine. And do you not know that he has ad- 
dressed to the Hungarians a proclamation advising them to 
depose me without further ceremony, and elect another king, 
of course one of the new-fangled French princes ? Do you not 
know that he has sent to Hungary emissaries who are calling 
upon the people to rise against me and conquer their liberty, 
which he, Bonaparte, would protect ? In truth, it is laughable 
to near Bonaparte still prating about liberty as though it 
were a piece of sugar which he has only to put into the mouth 
of the nations, when they are crying like babies, in order to 
silence them, and thereupon pull the wool quietly over their 
eyes. But it is true, the nations really are like babies ; they 
do not become reasonable and wise, and the accursed word 
‘ liberty,’ which Bonaparte puts as a flea into their ears, mad- 
dens them still as though a tarantula had bitten them. They 
have seen in Italy and France what sort of liberty Napoleon 
brings to them, and what a yoke he intends to lay on their 
necks while telling them that he wishes to make freemen of 
them. But they do not become wise, and who knows if the 
Magyars will not likewise allow themselves to be fooled and 
believe in the liberty which Bonaparte promises to them ? ” 

“ No, your majesty,” said Count Stadion, “ the Magyars are 
no children ; they are men who know full well what to think 
of Bonaparte’s insidious flatteries, and will not permit him to 
mislead them by his deceptive promises. They received the 
Archduke John with genuine enthusiasm, and every day vol- 
unteers are flocking to his standards to fight against the des- 


280 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


pot who, like a demon of terror, tramples the peace and pros- 
perity of all Europe under his bloody feet. No, Bonaparte 
can no longer count upon the sympathies of the nations ; they 
are all ready to rise against him, and in the end hatred will 
accomplish that which love and reason were unable to bring 
about. The hatred of the nations will crush Bonaparte and 
hurl him from his throne.” 

‘‘Provided the princes of the Rhenish Confederation do 
not support him, or provided the Emperor Alexander of Rus- 
sia does not catch him in his arms,” said Francis, shrugging 
his shoulders. “ I have no great confidence in what you call 
the nations ; they are really reckless and childish people. If 
Bonaparte is lucky again, even the Germans will idolize him 
before long ; but if he is unlucky, they will stone him. Just 
look at my illustrious brother, the generalissimo. After the 
defeats of Landshut and Ratisbon, and the humble letter which 
he wrote to Bonaparte, you, Count Stadion, thought it would 
be good for the Archduke Charles if we gave him a successor, 
and if we removed him, tormented as he is by a painful dis- 
ease, from the command-in-chief of the army. We, there- 
fore, suggested to the archduke quietly to present his resigna- 
tion, which would be promptly accepted. But the generalis- 
simo would not hear of it, and thought he would have first to 
make amends for the defeats which he had sustained at Lands- 
hut and Ratisbon. Now he has done so ; he has avenged his 
former defeats and achieved a victory at Aspern ; and after 
this brilliant victory he comes and offers his resignation, stat- 
ing that his feeble health compels him to lay down the com- 
mand and surrender it to some one else. But all at once my 
minister of foreign affairs has changed his mind : the victory 
of Aspern has converted him, and he thinks now that the gen- 
eralissimo must remain at the head of the army. If so saga- 
cious and eminent a man as Count Stadion allows success to 
mould his opinion, am I not right in not believing that the 
frivolous fellows whom you call 4 the nations ’ have no well- 
settled opinions at all ? ” 

“ Pardon me, sire,” said Count Stadion, smiling ; “ your 
majesty commits a slight error. Your majesty confounds 
principles with opinions. An honorable man and an honor- 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 281 


able nation may change their opinions, but never will they 
change their principles. Now the firmer and more immov- 
able their principles are, the more easily they may come to 
change their opinions ; for they seek for instruments to carry 
out their principles ; they profit to-day by the services of a 
tool which seems to them sufficiently sharp to perform its 
task, and they cast it aside to-morrow because it has become 
blunt, and must be replaced by another. This is what hap- 
pens to the nations and to myself at this juncture. The na- 
tions are bitterly opposed to France ; the whole German peo- 
ple, both north and south, is unanimous in its intense hatred 
against Napoleon. The nations do not allow him to deceive 
them ; they see through the Caesarean mask, and perceive the 
face of the tyrant, despot, and intriguer, lurking behind it. 
They do not believe a word of his pacific protestations and 
promises of freedom and liberal reforms ; for they see that he 
always means war when he prates about peace, that he means 
tyranny when he promises liberty, and that he gives Draconic 
laws instead of establishing liberal institutions. The nations 
hate Napoleon and abhor his despotic system. They seek for 
means to annihilate him and deliver at length the bloody and 
trembling world from him. If the princes were as unani- 
mous in their hatred as the nations are, Germany would stand 
as one man, sword in hand ; and this sublime and imposing 
spectacle would cause Napoleon to retreat with his host be- 
yond the Rhine, the German Rhine, whose banks would be 
guarded by the united people of Germany.” 

“You speak like a Utopian, my dear count,” said the em- 
peror, with a shrug. “ If the united people of Germany are 
alone able to defeat and expel Bonaparte, he will never be de- 
feated and expelled, for Germany will never be united ; she 
will never stand up as one man, but always resemble a num- 
ber of rats grown together by their tails, and striving to move 
in opposite directions. Let us speak no more of a united Ger- 
many ; it was the phantom that ruined my uncle, the Em- 
peror Joseph, whom enthusiasts call the Great Joseph. But I 
do not want to be ruined, and therefore I do not want to hear 
any thing of a united Germany. Thank God, since 1806, 1 am 
no longer Emperor of Germany, but only Emperor of Austria, 


282 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and that is enough for me. I do not care what the princes of 
the Confederation of the Rhine are doing, nor what intrigues 
Prussia is entering into in order to rise from its humiliating 
prostration ; I fix my eyes only on Austria, and think only 
whether Austria will be able to cope with Bonaparte, or 
whether she may not ultimately fare as badly as Prussia 
did. We have unfortunately experienced already one Aus- 
terlitz ; if we should suffer another defeat like it, we would 
be lost ; hence we must be cautious, and I ask you, there- 
fore, why you do not want me now to accept the resigna- 
tion of the generalissimo, when, only a fortnight ago, you 
advocated his removal from the command-in-chief of the 
army ? ” 

“ Your majesty, because a fortnight ago he had been re- 
peatedly defeated, and because he has now gained a brilliant 
victory. This shows your majesty again the difference be- 
tween opinions and principles. Opinions change and are in- 
fluenced by success. After the battle of Ratisbon, the gener- 
alissimo was looked upon with distrust and anxiety by his 
army, nay, by the whole people of Austria, who turned their 
eyes to the Archduke John, the victor of Sacile and St. Boni- 
face, and wanted to see at the head of the army a victorious 
general, instead of the defeated Archduke Charles ; but the 
latter has acted the hero, and been victorious at Aspern, and 
the love and confidence of the army and people are restored 
to him ; all look upon him as the liberator of the fatherland, 
and will stand by him until — ” 

“Until he loses another battle,” interrupted the emperor, 
sneeringly. “ My dear count, one swallow does not make a 
summer, and — Well, what is it, Leonard?” said the em- 
peror, turning quickly to his footman, who entered the room 
at this moment. 

“ Your majesty, his imperial highness the Archduke John 
has just arrived, and requests an audience.” 

“ Let the archduke come in,” said the emperor ; and when 
the footman had withdrawn, Francis turned again to the 
minister. “ He is the second swallow in which the childish 
people here are hoping,” he said. “ But two swallows do not 
make a summer either; there may still be a frost under which 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 283 


John’s young laurels of Sacile and St. Boniface will wither.— 
Ah, here is my brother/’ 

The emperor advanced a few steps to meet the Archduke 
John, who had just crossed the threshold, and stood still at 
the door to bow deeply and reverentially to his imperial 
brother. 

“No ceremonies, brother, no ceremonies,*’ said the em- 
peror, smiling ; “ we are here not in the imperial palace, but 
in the camp ; my crown is in Vienna, and my head is there- 
fore bare, while yours is wreathed with laurels.” 

The emperor said this in so sarcastic a tone that the arch- 
duke gave a start, and his cheeks crimsoned with indignation. 
But he restrained his anger, and fixed his eyes calmly on the 
sneering face of the emperor. 

“ Your majesty condescends to jest,” he said, composedly, 
“and I am glad to see from this that my brother, the victor of 
Aspern, has gladdened your majesty’s heart.” 

“Your majesty,” said Count Stadion, in a low, pressing 
tone, “ will you not graciously permit me to withdraw ? ” 

“Ah, you think your presence would be inconvenient dur- 
ing our interview, and might hinder the free exchange of our 
confidential communications? But I do not believe that I 
and my brother have any special secrets to communicate to 
each other, so that the presence of my minister would be in- 
convenient to us. However, let the archduke decide this 
point. Tell me therefore, brother, is it necessary that you 
should see me alone and without witnesses ? ” 

“On the contrary, your majesty,” said John, calmly, “it 
will be agreeable to me if the minister of foreign affairs is 
present at our interview ; for, as your majesty deigned to ob- 
serve, we never have confidential communications to make to 
each other, and as we shall speak only of business affairs, the 
minister may take part in the conversation.” 

“ Stay, then, count. And now, my esteemed brother, may 
I take the liberty of asking what induced the commanding- 
general of my army of Upper Austria, now stationed at Co- 
morn, to leave his post and pay me a friendly visit here at 
Wolkersdorf ?” 

“ Your majesty, I come to implore my sovereign to gra- 
39 


284 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ciously fulfil the promise which vour majesty vouchsafed to 
me at Vienna. Your majesty promised me that I should suc- 
cor with the forces intrusted to me the Tyrolese in their heroic 
struggle for deliverance from the foreign yoke, and that I 
might devote all my efforts to aiding this noble and heroic 
people, which has risen as one man in order to be incorporated 
again with Austria. It was I who organized the insurrection 
of the Tyrol, who appointed the leaders of the peasants, and 
fixed the day and hour when the insurrection was to break 
out.” 

“ Yes, yes, it is true,” interrupted the emperor ; “ you 
proved that you were a skilful and shrewd revolutionist, and 
it was really fortunate for me that you availed yourself of 
your revolutionary talents, not against me, but for me. If I 
shall ever recover full possession of the Tyrol, I shall be in- 
debted for it only to the revolutionary skill of my brother 
John ; and I shall always look upon it as an act of great dis- 
interestedness on your part to leave me the Tyrol, and not 
keep it for yourself ; for it is in your hands, and it is you 
whom the Tyrolese in their hearts call their real emperor.” 

“ Your majesty is distrustful of the love of the faithful Tyr- 
olese,” said John, mournfully, “ and yet they have sealed it 
with their blood since the insurrection broke out ; it was al- 
ways the name of their Emperor Francis with which they 
went into battle, the name of the Emperor Francis with which 
they exulted triumphantly when God and their intrepidity 
made them victorious.” 

“ No, archduke, I know better ! ” exclaimed the Emperor, 
vehemently. “ They did not confine themselves to rendering 
homage to me, but when the peasants had taken Innspruck, 
they placed the Archduke John’s picture on the triumphal 
arch by the side of my own portrait, surrounded it with 
candles, and rendered the same homage to it as to that of the 
emperor.” 

“ It is true, the honest peasants know nothing of etiquette,” 
said John, sadly. “ They believed in their simplicity that 
they might love a little their emperor’s brother, who had been 
sent to their assistance by his majesty, and that they might 
place his picture without further ceremony by the side of that 


TIIE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 


285 


of the emperor. But that they nevertheless knew very well 
how to distinguish the emperor from the archduke, and that 
they granted to the emperor the first place in their hearts, and 
deemed him the sole object of their loyalty, is proved by the 
song which the Tyrolese sang with enthusiastic unanimity on 
fastening the Austrian eagle to the imperial palace at Inns- 
pruck. As such full particulars of the events in the Tyrol 
were sent to your majesty, I am sure this beautiful song was 
likewise communicated to you.” 

“No, it was not,” said the emperor, carelessly. “What 
song is it ? ” 

“ Your majesty, it is a hymn of joy and triumph which, ever 
since that day, is sung by all Tyrolese, not only by the men, 
but also by the women and children, and which resounds 
now as the spring-hymn of the new era both in the valleys 
and on the summits of the mountains. T am sorry that I do 
not know the words by hearts, but I shall have the honor of 
sending them to your majesty. I remember only the refrain 
of every verse, which is as follows : 

“‘Ueberall lebt’st sch treu und bieder, 

Wo der Adler uns angeschaut, 

Und mi’ haben wir unsern Franzel wieder, 

Weil wir halt auf Gott und ihn vertraut.’ ” * 

“ That is quite pretty,” said the emperor, smiling. “ And 
is that the song they are singing now in the Tyrol ? ” 

“ Your majesty, they not only sing it, but they believe in it 
too. Yes, the Tyrolese confide in your majesty ; they believe 
implicitly in the promises which your majesty has made to 
them, and they would punish as a traitor any one who should 
dare to tell them that these promises would not be fulfilled.” 

“ And who asserts that they will not be fulfilled ? ” asked 
the emperor. 

“ Your majesty, the facts will unfortunately soon convince 
the Tyrolese that they must not look for the fulfilment of these- 

* “ Far reaching as the eagle’s view, 

Are beating loyal hearts and true ; 

Once more our Francis can we claim, 

Because we trust in God’s great name ! ” 


286 


ANDREAS HOFER, 


promises,” said the archduke, sighing. “ At the very moment 
when the Tyrol is being threatened by two hostile armies, 
those of the Viceroy of Italy and the Duke of Dantzic, and 
when the Tyrol, therefore, if it is not to succumb again to 
such enormous odds, urgently needs assistance and succor, I 
receive orders to leave the Tyrol and march to Hungary. 
That is to say, I am to give up Salzburg, which is occupied 
by the French ; I am not to succor Innspruck, which is men- 
aced by Baraguay d’Hilliers. Not only am I not to lend any 
assistance to the Tyrolese, but I am to break their moral 
courage and paralyze their energy, by showing to them by my 
retreat that the emperor’s promises will not be fulfilled, and 
that the army of Upper Austria abandons the Tyrol to succor 
Hungary.” 

“ Well, the Tyrol is not yet abandoned, even though the 
Archduke John is no longer there,” said the emperor, shrug- 
ging his shoulders. “We have two generals with corps there, 
have we not ? Are not the Marquis of Chasteler and Count 
Buol there ? ” 

“ They are, your majesty ; but the Marquis of Chasteler is 
morally paralyzed by the sentence of outlawry which Napo- 
leon has issued against him, and Count Buol has too few troops 
to oppose the enemy’s operations, which are not checked by 
any corps outside the Tyrol.” 

“ Ah, you wish to give me another proof of the fraternal 
love reigning between you and the Archduke Charles ? ” 
asked the emperor sarcastically. “ You wish to oppose the 
orders of your generalissimo ? ” 

“ I wish to ask the emperor, my sovereign, whether I am to 
give up the Tyrol or not ; I wish to ask him if he orders me 
to march my army to Presburg, unite with the insurgent 
forces, and operate there against the enemy.” 

“ Are these the generalissimo’s orders ? ” 

“They are, your majesty.” 

“ And what else does he command ? ” 

“ He commands me, further, to make myself master of the 
two islands of Schiitt in front of Presburg, take Altenburg by 
a coup de main , and garrison, supply, and provision the two 
fortresses of Raab and Comorn for six months. ” 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 287 


A sarcastic expression overspread the emperor’s face. 
“Well, these are excellent and most energetic orders,” he said. 
“Carry them out, therefore.” 

“But, your majesty, it is not in my power to do so. 
These orders look very fine on paper, but they cannot be car- 
ried into effect. I have neither troops nor supplies enough to 
garrison, supply, and provision Raab and Comorn, and hold 
Presburg, even after effecting a junction with the troops of 
the Archduke Palatine and the Hungarian volunteers. And 
the generalissimo is well aware of it, for I have always ac- 
quainted him with what occurred in my army ; he knows 
that my forces and those of the Archduke Palatine together 
are scarcely twenty-five thousand strong, and that one-half of 
these troops consists of undisciplined recruits. He knows that 
the enemy is threatening us on all sides with forty thousand 
veteran troops. The generalissimo is so well aware of this, 
that he spoke of the weakness of the remnants of my army in 
the dispatches which he addressed to me only a few days ago. 
But the victory of Aspern seems suddenly to have made the 
generalissimo believe that, inasmuch as he himself has per- 
formed extraordinary things, he may demand of me what 
is impossible.” 

“ What is impossible ! ” said the emperor, with mischie- 
vous joy. “ So brave and heroic a soldier as you, archduke, 
will not deem impossible what his chief orders him to do. 
The Archduke Charles is your chief, and you have to obey 
him. He orders you to hold Raab and Presburg. Go, then, 
and carry out the orders of your commander-in-chief. ” 

“ As your majesty commands me to do so, I shall obey,” 
said John, calmly ; “ only I call your majesty’s attention to the 
fact that, if the enemy accelerates his operations and compels 
me soon to give battle, I shall be unable to hold Raab, for 
which so little has been done hitherto, and that I shall lose 
the battle unless the generalissimo sends a strong corps to my 
assistance.” 

“ It is your business to come to an understanding with the 
generalissimo as to that point. He possesses my full confi- 
dence, for he showed excellent generalship at Aspern. There 
is no reason why I should distrust him.” 


288 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ And God forbid that I should wish to render you distrust- 
ful of him!” exclaimed John, vehemently. “I hope my 
brother Charles will remain yet a long while at the head of 
the army, and give many successors to the victory of As- 
pern.” 

“ But you doubt if he will, do you not ? ” asked the em- 
peror, fixing his small light-blue eyes with a searching ex- 
pression on John’s face. “ You do not rejoice much at the 
brilliant victory of Aspern ? You do not think that Bona- 
parte is entirely crushed and will hasten to otter us peace ? ” 

“Your majesty, you yourself do not believe it,” said John, 
with a smile. “ Napoleon is not the man to be deterred by a 
defeat from following up his plans ; he will pursue them only 
the more energetically, and he will attain his ends, though, 
perhaps, somewhat less rapidly, unless we adopt more decisive 
measures.” 

“ Look, Stadion,” exclaimed the emperor, smiling, “ I am 
glad that the Archduke John agrees with me. He repeats 
only what I said to you about Bonaparte.” 

“ But, your majesty, the archduke added something to it,” 
said Count Stadion, quickly ; “ he said Austria ought to adopt 
more decisive measures.” 

“ Ah, and now you hope that the archduke will say to me 
what you have already said so often, and that he will make 
the same proposals in regard to more decisive measures as you 
did, minister ? ” 

“Yes, I do hope it, your majesty.” 

“Well, let us see,” exclaimed the emperor, with great vi- 
vacity. “ Tell me, therefore, archduke, what more decisive 
measures you referred to.” 

“Your majesty,” replied John, quickly, “I meant that we 
should strive to get rid of our isolated position, and look 
around for allies who will aid us not only with money, as 
England does, but also with troops.” 

“ And what allies would be most desirable for Austria, ac- 
cording to your opinion, archduke ? ” 

The archduke cast a rapid, searching glance on the face of 
the minister, who responded to it by a scarcely perceptible 
nod of his head. 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 289 


“Your majesty,” said Archduke John, quickly, “Prussia 
would be the most desirable ally for Austria.” 

The emperor started back, and then turned almost angrily 
to Stadion. “ In truth,” he said, “ it is just as I thought ; the 
archduke repeats your own proposals. It seems, then, that 
the formerly so courageous war-party at my court suddenly 
droops its wings, and thinks no longer that we are able to cope 
single-handed with Bonaparte. Hence, its members have 
agreed to urge me to conclude an alliance with Prussia, and 
now come the besieging forces which are to overcome my re- 
pugnance. The minister himself was the first to break the 
subject to me ; now he calls the Archduke John to his assist- 
ance, and takes pains to be present at the very hour when the 
archduke arrives here to second his efforts in attacking me. 
Half an hour later, and the empress will make her appearance 
to assist you, and convince me that we ought to secure, above 
all things, the alliance of Prussia.” 

“ Pardon me, your majesty,” said Count Stadion, earnestly ; 
“I have, unfortunately, not the honor of being one of the 
archduke’s confidants, and I pledge you my word of honor 
that I did not know at all that his royal highness was coming 
hither.” 

“ And I pledge your majesty my word of honor that neither 
the empress nor Count Stadion ever intimated to me, directly 
or indirectly, that they share my views, and have advocated 
them already before your majesty.” 

“ Then you have come quite independently, and of your 
own accord, to the conclusion that we ought to form an alli- 
ance with Prussia ? ” 

“Yes, your majesty ; I believe that this has now become a 
necessity for us.” 

“But Prussia is a humiliated and exhausted state, which 
exists only by Bonaparte’s grace and the intercession of the 
Emperor of Russia.” 

“ Your majesty speaks of Prussia as it was in 1807,” said 
Count Stadion, “after the defeats of Jena, Eylau, and Fried- 
land. But since then two years have elapsed, and Prussia has 
risen again from her prostration ; she has armed secretly, ren- 
dered her resources available, and found sagacious and ener- 


290 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


getic men, who are at work silently, but with unflagging zeal, 
upon the reorganization of the army, and preparing every 
thing for the day of vengeance.” 

“ Let us ally ourselves with regenerated Prussia, which is 
longing for vengeance ! ” cried John, ardently ; “let us unite 
with her in the struggle against our common foe. Prussia 
and Austria should be harmonious, and jointly protect Ger- 
many.” 

“No,” said the emperor, almost angrily, “Prussia and 
Austria are natural enemies ; they have been enemies ever 
since Prussia existed, for Prussia, instead of contenting herself 
with her inferior position, dared to be Austria’s rival ; and, 
moreover, Austria can never forgive her the rapacious con- 
quest of Silesia.” 

“ Oh, your majesty,” exclaimed John, impetuously, “let us 
forget the past, and fix our eyes on the present and future ! 
France is the common enemy of all Europe ; all Europe ought 
to unite in subduing her, and we will not even solicit the co- 
operation of our neighbor ! But an alliance between Austria 
and Prussia will render all Germany united, and Germany 
will then be, as it were, a threatening rock, and France will 
shrink from her impregnable bulwarks, and retire within her 
natural borders.” 

“Words, words ! ” said the emperor, shrugging his shoul- 
ders. “ You enthusiasts always talk of a united Germany, but 
in reality it has never existed yet.” 

“ But it will exist when Prussia and Austria are allied ; only 
this alliance must be concluded soon, for we have no time to 
lose, and every delay is fraught with great danger. France is 
intent on establishing a universal monarchy ; Napoleon does 
not conceal it any longer. If France really succeeds in keep- 
ing the German powers at variance and enmity, and uniting 
with Russia against them, our last hour will strike ; for these 
two powers, if united, will easily come to an understanding as 
to the division of Europe ; and even though Russia did not 
entertain such an intention, France would communicate it to 
her.* Hence, Russia should likewise be gained, and its alli- 

* The archduke’s own words.— See “ Letters from the Archduke John to 
Johannes von Muller,” p. 81 . 


THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 291 


ance, by Russia’s intercession, be secured, so that Germany, in 
days of adversity, might count upon her.” 

“ You believe then, archduke, that days of adversity are 
yet in store for us ? ” asked the emperor. 

“ Your majesty, I am afraid they are, if we stand alone. 
All is at stake now, and all must be risked. We are no longer 
fighting for provinces, but for our future existence. We shall 
fight well ; but even the best strength is exhausted in the 
long run, and he who holds out longest remains victorious. 
Which side has better chances ? Austria, so long as she op- 
poses France single-handed, has not ; but Austria and Prus- 
sia, if united, assuredly have. If Austria falls now, the best 
adversary of France falls, and with her falls Prussia, and 
Germany is lost.” 

“ And what would you do, archduke, if Austria, as you say, 
were lost ? ” 

“Your majesty, if Austria should sink into ruin, I should 
know how to die ! ” 

“ You would, like Brutus of old, throw yourself upon your 
sword, would you not ? Well, I hope we shall not fare so 
badly as that, for you have pointed out to me a way of saving 
the country. You have proved to me that Austria can be 
saved by an alliance with Prussia. Fortunately, I have some- 
times ideas of my own, and even a head of my own. I had 
this morning a long interview with the Prince of Orange, 
who has just arrived from Konigsberg, where he saw the 
King of Prussia. He laid before me a detailed report of 
what he had seen there, and I made up my mind before I 
had heard your advice. — Count Stadion, be so kind as to 
take the paper lying on the desk. Do you know the hand- 
writing ? ” 

“I believe it is your majesty’s handwriting,” said Count 
Stadion, who, in accordance with the emperor’s order, had 
taken the paper from the desk. 

“Yes, it is my handwriting ; for, though not as learned as 
my brother John, I am at least able, if need be, to write a let- 
ter. Be so kind, minister, as to read my letter aloud.” 

Count Stadion bowed, and read as follows : 


292 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ To his majesty, King Frederick William of Prussia : 

“ Headquarters, VV olkersdorf, June 8 , 1809. 

“ Sir, my Brother : The Prince of Orange, who has arrived 
at my headquarters here, has told me unreservedly, and with 
full confidence, of the repeated conversations he had with 
your majesty during his recent sojourn at Konigsberg. You 
left no doubt in his mind as to yqur firm conviction that the 
existence of our two monarchies can be protected from the 
rapacious system of the Emperor Napoleon only by an active 
and cordial alliance. For a long time past, aware of the 
opinions and wisdom of your majesty, I could foresee that 
your majesty would not refuse to take a step, justified not less 
by the logic of events than the loyalty of the nations which 
Providence has confided to our care. 

“ The bearer, Colonel Baron Steigentesch, a distinguished 
staff-officer of my army, will confer with your majesty’s gov- 
ernment as to the questions which may arise in regard to an 
alliance between the two countries : he is authorized to regu- 
late the proportions of the forces to be employed on both 
sides, and the other arrangements not less salutary than indis- 
pensable for the security of the two states. For the same 
reasons I shall speedily send instructions to my ambassador at 
Berlin in conformity with the overtures made by Count von 
der Goltz. 

“ Your majesty will permit me to assure you that I remain 
as ever, Your most obedient, 

“Francis, Emperor of Austria.” * 

While Count Stadion was reading the letter, the emperor 
closely watched the effect it produced upon the archduke. He 
saw that John was at first surprised, that his eyes gradually 
brightened, that his face crimsoned with joy, and that a smile 
played round his lips. 

When Count Stadion was through, the archduke stepped 
up to the emperor with an expression of profound emotion 
and intense gratitude. 

“Your Majesty,” he cried, “you have filled me both with 
shame and ecstasy. Oh, give me your hand, let me press it to 
* “ Lebensbilder,” vol. iii., p. 266 . 


THE REPLY OF TIIE KING OF PRUSSIA. 


293 


my lips ; let me thank you for this gracious punishment ! I 
am grateful, too, for the gracious confidence with which you 
initiate me into your plans.” 

“ That is unnecessary,” said the emperor, without giving 
him his hand ; “ you need not thank me. Nor was it my in- 
tention to give you a special proof of my confidence. I did 
not cause the letter to be read to you in order to have you par- 
ticipate in my plans, but only to prove to you that I can make 
up my mind without your advice, and to request you not to 
molest me henceforth with any such suggestions. Now, 
brother, we have nothing further to say to each other. Re- 
turn to Comorn, and carry out the generalissimo’s order, as 
behooves a good officer, promptly, carefully, and without 
grumbling. Fortify and hold Raab, defend Presburg, take 
Altenburg by a coup de main; in short, do all that the gen- 
eralissimo wants you to do. If I should need your advice 
and wisdom, I shall send for you ; and when Baron Steigen- 
tesch returns from his mission to Prussia, you shall be in- 
formed of the results. Farewell, brother, and let me soon 
hear of new victories ! ” 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 

Two weeks after this interview between the Archduke 
John and the emperor, the archduke, at the request of the 
emperor, repaired again to the imperial headquarters at Wol- 
kersdorf, and sent in his name to his brother. 

“ You come just in time, brother,” said the emperor, when 
John entered his cabinet. “ I knew that Baron Steigentesch 
would arrive here to-day, hence I sent for you, for I promised 
to let you hear the reply of the King of Prussia to my pro- 
posal. The colonel did arrive a few minutes ago, and waits 
in the anteroom for an audience.” 

“ Before admitting him, your majesty, pray listen to me,” 
said John, in a grave, tremulous voice. 


294 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ I hope you do not intend to reveal a secret to me ?” asked 
the emperor. 

“ No, your majesty ; unfortunately that which I have to say 
to you will soon be known to everybody, and our enemies will 
take care to let their triumphant bulletins circulate the news 
throughout Europe.” 

“ It is a defeat, then, that you have to announce to me ? ” 
asked the emperor, gloomily. 

“ Yes, your majesty, a defeat. I met the enemy yesterday 
at Kaab [June 14, 1809]. Our men fought bravely ; some per- 
formed the most heroic exploits ; but the odds of the enemy 
were too overwhelming. The Viceroy of Italy attacked us 
with his well-disciplined veteran troops, thirty-nine thousand 
strong. In the outset, we, that is, the Archduke Palatine and 
I, were about as strong, including the Hungarian volunteers. 
But the very first attack of the enemy, the first volleys of 
musketry, caused the volunteers to fall back ; they fled panic- 
struck, abandoned the hill where I had posted them, and 
rushed in wild disorder from the field of battle. The enemy 
then occupied the hill, and this decided the fate of the day 
against us, shortly after the commencement of the battle. 
However, we might have held out and gained a victory, if all 
had carried out my orders promptly and carefully, and if, as 
usually during this campaign, no obstacles had been placed 
in my way.” 

“ Ah, archduke, to avoid charges being preferred against 
yourself, you intend to prefer charges against others ! ” ex- 
claimed the emperor, shrugging his shoulders. 

“ Yes, your majesty ; I charge Ignatius Giulav, Ban of 
Croatia, with violation of my orders, disobedience, and inten- 
tional delays in making the movements I had prescribed. I 
had ordered the Ban in time to join me at Comorn on the 13th 
of June, and he had positively assured me, by letter and ver- 
bally, that he would promptly be on hand on the stated day. 
I counted upon his arrival, and made my dispositions accord- 
ingly. The generalissimo had instructed me to keep open my 
communications with the main army on the right bank of the 
Danube by way of Raab ; and I, therefore, started on the 
morning of the 13th from Comorn, firmly convinced that 


TEE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 


295 


Giulay’s troops would join me in time and follow me. But I 
waited for him in vain ; he failed me at the critical moment, 
despite my orders and his promises, and this was the principal 
reason why we lost the battle.” * 

“ You prefer a grave charge against a man whom I have 
always found to be faithful, brave, and honorable,” said the 
emperor, with cutting coldness. 

“ Your majesty, I beg you to be so gracious as to call the 
Ban of Croatia to a strict account,” exclaimed John, vehement- 
ly. “ I beg you to be so gracious as to send for the orders 
which I gave him, and ask him why he did not obey them.” 

“ I shall do so,” replied the emperor, “ and it is my convic- 
tion that be will be able to justify himself completely.” 

The Archduke John gave a start, a deathly pallor over- 
spread his cheeks, his eyes shot fire, his lips opened to utter an 
impetuous word, but he restrained it forcibly ; compressing his 
lips, pale and panting, he hastily moved back a few steps and 
approached the door. 

“ Stay ! ” ordered the emperor, in a harsh voice. “ I have 
yet some questions to put to you. You are responsible for this 
battle of Raab, and you owe me some explanations concerning 
it. How was the retreat effected? Where are your forces 
now ? ” 

“ The retreat was effected in good order,” said John, in a 
low, tremulous voice. “I marched with four battalions of 
grenadiers and two battalions of Gratz militia slowly along 
the heights to Als, where we arrived at midnight ; and to-day 
we went back to Comorn. There our forces are now.” 

“ And Raab ? Have the enemy taken it already ? ” 

“ No, your majesty, it still holds out : but it will fall, as I 
told your majesty two weeks ago, for the generalissimo has 
sent me neither amunition nor re-enforcements, despite my 
most pressing requests.” 

“ Is that to be another charge ? ” asked the emperor, 
sternly. 

“ No,” said John, mournfully ; “ it is only to be my de- 
fence, for unfortunately it is always necessary for me to de- 
fend myself.” 

* See Schlosser’s “ History of the Eighteenth Century,” vol. vii., p. 540. 


* 


296 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Ah, archduke, you always consider yourself the victim of 
cabals,” exclaimed the emperor ; “ you believe yourself al- 
ways persecuted and calumniated ; you suspect invariably 
that you are slighted and placed in false positions by those 
who are jealous of your exalted qualities, and envious of your 
talents. You think that your greatness excites apprehen- 
sions, and your genius and learning create misgivings, and 
that you are therefore persecuted ; that intrigues are entered 
upon against you, and that not sufficent elbow-room is given 
to your abilities. But you are mistaken, archduke. I am not 
afraid of you, and although I admire you, and think, like 
you, that you are the greatest captain of the age — ” 

“Your majesty,” interrupted John, in a loud, vehement 
voice, “ your majesty, I — ” 

“Well, what is it ?” cried the emperor, hastily advancing 
a few steps toward his brother, and staring at him with de- 
fiant eyes. “ What have you got to say to me ? ” 

“ Nothing, your majesty,” said John, in a hollow voice ; 
“ you are the emperor ! I am silent, and submit.” 

“ And you are very prudent in doing so, for, as you say, I 
am the emperor, and I will remain the emperor, despite all 
my great and august brothers. If your imperial highness 
does not like this, if you think you are treated unjustly, if 
you consider yourself a martyr, why do you not imitate what 
the generalissimo has done already three times during the 
present campaign — why do you not offer your resignation ? 
Why do you not request your emperor to dismiss you from 
his service ? ” 

“ Will your majesty permit me to make a frank and hon- 
est reply to this question ? ” asked John, looking at the em- 
peror firmly and gravely. 

“I will.” 

“Well, then, your majesty, I do not offer my resignation 
because I am not an invalid ; because I am young, strong, 
and able to work. I request the emperor not to dismiss me 
from the service, because I serve not only him, but the father- 
land, and because I owe to it my services and strength. I 
know well that many would like me to retire into privacy 
and withdraw entirely from public affairs ; but I cannot fulfil 


THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 


297 


their wishes, and never shall I withdraw voluntarily from the 
service. No matter what wrongs and slights may be inflicted 
upon me, they will be fruitless, for they will never shake my 
purpose. All the disagreeable things that happen to me in 
my career, I think proceed from individuals, and not from 
the fatherland ; why should I, then, avenge myself on the 
fatherland by resigning and depriving it of my services when 
it has done me no wrong ? * I serve the fatherland in serv- 
ing your majesty ; should I resign, I should be unfaithful to 
both my masters, and only then would your majesty have a 
right to despise me.” 

“ Listen,” said the emperor ; “ the word fatherland is a 
dangerous and two-edged one, and I do not think much of it. 
The insurgents and revolutionists have it always in their 
mouths ; and when rising against their prince and refusing 
him obedience, they likewise say that they do so in the serv- 
ice of the fatherland, and devote their strength and fidelity 
to it. The soldier, above all, has nothing to do with the 
fatherland, but only with his sovereign ; it is to him alone 
that he has sworn allegiance, and to him alone he must re- 
main faithful. Now, as you are a soldier and wish to remain 
in the service, pray bear in mind that you have sworn alle- 
giance to your emperor, and let me hear no longer any of your 
subtle distinctions between your emperor and your father- 
land. And now that you have reported to me the result of 
the disastrous battle of Raab, Baron Steigentesch may come in 
and report the results of his mission to Konigsberg. Stay, 
therefore, and listen to him.” 

The emperor rang the bell, and ordered the footman who 
entered the room to admit immediately Minister Count Sta- 
dion and Colonel Baron Steigentesch. A few minutes later 
the two gentlemen entered the cabinet. 

u Now, colonel,” said the emperor to him, “ you are to re- 
port the results of your mission to Konigsberg, and I confess 
I am quite anxious to hear them. But before you commence, 
I wish to say a few words to your minister of foreign affairs. 
On the same day that I dispatched Colonel Steigentesch to 

* The archduke’s own words— See his “Letters to Johannes von Muller,” 
p. 92. 


298 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


Konigsberg, I handed you a sealed paper and ordered you to 
preserve it till my ambassador’s return. Have you done so ? ” 
“ I have, your majesty.” 

“ And have you brought it with you now ? ” 
w Here it is, your majesty,” said Count Stadion, drawing a 
sealed envelope from his bosom, and presenting it to the em- 
peror, with a low bow. Francis took it, and examined the 
seal with close attention, then held it to his nose and 
smelled it. 

“ Indeed,” he exclaimed joyfully, “ it has retained its per- 
fume, and is as fresh and brilliant as though it had been put 
on only at the present moment. And what a beautiful crim- 
son it is ! I have, then, at length, found the right receipt for 
good sealing-wax, and this, which I made myself, may vie with 
that made at the best Spanish factories. Oh, I see, this seal- 
ing-wax will drive my black cabinet to despair, for it will be 
impossible to open a letter sealed with it ; even the finest 
knife will be unable to do it. Do you hot think so too, minis- 
ter ? ” 

“ I am no judge of sealing-wax,” said Count Stadion, coldly, 
“ and I confess that I did not even look at the seal of this en- 
velope ; your majesty ordered me to keep it and return it to 
you after Baron Steigentesch’s return. I complied with your 
majesty’s orders, that is all.” 

The emperor smiled, and laid the sealed paper with a 
slight nod on the table by his side ; then he sank into an easy- 
chair, and beckoned to the gentlemen to take seats on the 
chairs on the other side of the table. 

“ Now, Colonel Steigentesch, let me hear the results of 
your mission. In the first place, tell me, has King Frederick 
William sent no letter to me in reply to mine ? ” 

“ No, your majesty,” replied Colonel Steigentesch, with a 
significant smile ; “ I am only the bearer of a verbal reply. I 
believe the king thought a written answer too dangerous, or 
he was afraid lest he should thereby compromise himself. 
But after every interview I had with the king or the queen, 
I noted down every word their majesties spoke to me ; and if 
your majesty permits, I shall avail myself of my diary in re- 
plying to you.” 


THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 299 

“ Do so,” said Francis, “let us hear what you noted down 
in your diary.” 

Colonel Steigentesch drew a memorandum-book from his 
bosom and opened it. 

“Well, then, how did the king receive you?” inquired 
Francis, after a pause. 

“ The king received me rather coldly and stiffly,” read 
Colonel Steigentesch from his diary ; “ he asked me what was 
the object of my mission., I replied that my emperor’s letter 
stated this in a sufficiently lucid manner. The king was 
silent for a while ; then he said rather morosely : ‘ The em- 
peror asks for succor now ; but hereafter he will, perhaps, 
conclude a separate peace and sacrifice me.’ I replied, ‘The 
Emperor Francis, my august master, does not ask for succor. 
The battle of Aspern has proved that means of defence are 
not wanting to Austria. But as it is the avowed object of 
this war that the powers should recover their former posses- 
sions, it is but just and equitable that they should take an 
active part in the contest, whose only object can be attained 
by seizing the favorable moment. I have not been sent to 
you to argue a question which should be settled already, 
but to make the arrangements necessary for carrying it into 
effect.’ ” 

“An expedient reply,” exclaimed the emperor, nodding his 
head eagerly. “ And what did the King of Prussia answer to 
you ? ” 

“ The king was silent a while, and paced his room repeat- 
edly, his hands clasped on his back. Then he stood still in 
front of me, and said in a loud, firm voice : ‘ Despite the 
fear which I might have of being deserted by Austria, I am 
determined to ally myself one day with your court ; but it is 
not yet time. Continue the war ; in the mean time I will 
gradually strengthen my forces ; only then shall I be able to 
take a useful part in the contest. I lack powder, muskets, 
and money ; my artillerists are all young and inexperienced 
soldiers. It is painful to me to avow the whole wretchedness 
of my position to an Austrian officer ; but I must do so to 
prove to your master what it is that keeps me back at this 
juncture. You will easily convince yourself that I am striv- 
20 


300 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ing to be useful to you by all means. Your sick soldiers 
are nursed at my hospitals and sent to their homes ; I give 
leave of absence to all my officers who wish to serve in your 
army. But to ask me to declare now in your ’favor, is to call 
upon me to sign my own ruin. Deal the enemy another 
blow, and I will send an officer out of uniform to your em- 
peror’s headquarters to make all necessary arrangements.’ * 
After these words the king bowed to me and dismissed me.” 

“ Ah, indeed, the King of Prussia gives very wise advice,” 
exclaimed the emperor ; “ we are to deal Bonaparte another 
blow, and then Prussia will negotiate with us. After w T e have 
gained another victory, the cautious King of Prussia will enter 
into secret negotiations with me, and send to my headquarters 
an officer, but, do you hear, out of uniform, in order not to 
compromise himself. Did you not wear your uniform, then, 
colonel ? ” 

“ Pardon me, your majesty, I did. But this seemed to be 
disagreeable to the king, and he asked me to doff my uni- 
form at Konigsberg ; but I replied, that I was, since the 
battle of Aspern, so proud of my uniform that I could not 
doff it. f The king thereupon requested me to state publicly 
that I had come to Prussia only for the purpose of asking of 
the king permission to buy corn in Silesia and horses in Prus- 
sia.” 

“ And you complied with this request, colonel ! ” 

“ I did not, your majesty. I replied that I could not even 
state this, for it was repugnant to my sense of honor ; how- 
ever, I would not contradict such a rumor if it were circu- 
lated.” 

“Very well, colonel,” said the emperor, smiling; “you 
have acted in a manner worthy of a true Austrian. And 
now tell me, did you see the queen also ? ” 

“ I did, your majesty. Her majesty sent for me on the 
day of my arrival. The queen looked pale and feeble, but she 
seemed to take pains to conceal her sufferings under a smile 
which illuminated her face like a sunbeam.” 

“ See, see,” exclaimed the emperor, sarcastically ; “ our colo- 

* The king’s own words. — See “ Lebensbilder,” vol. iii., p. 262. 

■ tlbid. 


THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 


301 


nel talks in the enthusiastic strain of a poet now that he re- 
fers to the queen. Is she so very beautiful, then ? ” 

kt Your majesty, she is more than beautiful ; she is at the 
same time a noble, high-spirited woman, and an august 
queen. Her misfortunes and humiliations have not bent her 
neck, but this noble lady seems even more august and ma- 
jestic in the days of adversity than in those of splendor and 
prosperity.” 

“ And what did the queen say to you ? Was she of her 
husband’s opinion that Austria should not be succored at 
this juncture, and that Prussia, before declaring in our favor, 
ought to wait and see if Austria can defeat France single- 
handed ? ” 

“ Your majesty, the queen was more unreserved and frank 
in her utterances than the king. She openly avowed her 
hatred against Napoleon, and it is her opinion that Prussia 
should take a decided stand against France. ‘ For,’ she said, 

‘ I am convinced that the hatred of the French emperor 
against Austria, and his intention to overthrow all dynasties, 
leave no hope of peace. I am the mother of nine children, to 
whom I am anxious to preserve their inheritance ; you may, 
therefore, judge of the wishes which I entertain.’ ” * 

“ If such were the queen’s sentiments, I suppose she profited 
by the great influence which she is said to have over her hus- 
band, to prevail upon him to take a bold stand, and you bring 
me the news of it as the final result of your mission, do you 
not ? ” 

“ Pardon me, your majesty, I do not. It seems the influ- 
ence of the queen does not go far enough to induce the king 
to change his mind after he has once made it up. Now, the 
king has resolved not to ally himself with Austria at this 
juncture, but to wait until Austria, as he says, ‘ has dealt the 
Emperor of the French another blow.’ All my interviews 
with the king were, as it were, only variations of this theme. 
In the last interview which I had with the king, he did not 
express any thing but what he had already told me in the 
first. He repeated that he would, as soon as Austria had 
dealt France another decisive blow, send an officer out of uni- 
* The queen’s own words. — See “ Lebensbilder,” vol. iii., p. 260. 


302 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


form to the headquarters of your majesty ; but then, he 
added, 1 1 hope to come myself, and not alone. ’ When I took 
leave of the queen, she was even sadder than usual, and her 
voice was tremulous, and her eyes tilled with tears, when she 
said to me she hoped to meet me soon again under more favor- 
able circumstances.” 

“ And what did the other persons at the Prussian court 
say ? How did the princes, the generals, and ministers ex- 
press themselves ? ” 

“Prince William, the king’s brother, said to me with a 
shrug : 1 You will not find the spirit reigning here much to 
your taste. The king’s irresolution will ruin him again.’ 
The princess, his wife, apologized for not inviting me to din- 
ner, the king having positively forbidden her to do so. The 
king’s generals and ministers unreservedly gave vent to their 
impatience and indignation. Grand-chancellor von Beyme 
said to me : ‘ The king would like to unite with you, but he 
cannot make up his mind to do so. However, as everybody 
about him is earnestly in favor of an alliance with Austria, I 
hope that the king will be carried away.’ * General Bliicher 
wrote to the king in his impetuous, frank manner, that 4 he 
would not witness the downfall of the throne, and would pre- 
fer serving in a foreign army, provided it were at war with 
the French.’ Scharnhorst, the minister of war, spoke as vi- 
olently, and with as undisguised hostility against France. 
He presented to the king a memoir, in which he said : 4 1 will 
not go dishonored into my grave ; I should be dishonored did 
I not advise the king to profit by the present moment, and de- 
clare war against France. Can your majesty wish that Austria 
should return your states to you as alms, if she were still gener- 
ous enough to do so ; or that Napoleon, if victorious, should 
disarm your soldiers like the militia of a free city ? ’ But all 
these remonstrances, these supplications, nay, even the tears 
of the queen, were in vain. The king repeated that he would 
unite with Austria one day, but it was not yet time. Austria 
ought first to deal France another blow, and gain a decisive 
victory ; then would have come for Prussia the moment to 
declare openly against France. This, your majesty, is the 

* “ Lebensbilder,” vol. iii., p. 262. 


THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 


303 


only reply which I bring with me from my mission to 
Prussia.” 

“Well, I must confess that this reply is decidedly cautious 
and wise ! ” exclaimed the emperor, laughing. “ After we 
have drawn the chestnuts out of the fire, Prussia will he kind 
enough to sit down with Austria and help her to eat them. 
Well, what do you think of it, brother John ? ” 

“ I think that this hesitating policy of Prussia is a misfor- 
tune not only for Austria and Prussia, but for Germany. For 
if France and Russia join hands now against our disunited 
country, Germany will be lost. The welfare of Europe is now 
inseparably bound up with an alliance between Austria and 
Prussia, which can alone prevent the outbreak of a European 
war. But this alliance must be concluded openly, unre- 
servedly, and with mutual confidence. No private interests, 
no secondary interests calculated to frustrate the enterprise, 
but the great ends of saving the states, and restoring peace 
and prosperity to humanity, should be kept constantly in 
view ; then, and then only, success will crown the great un- 
dertaking.”* 

“ And Prussia seems little inclined to keep such ends in 
view,” said the emperor. “Well, minister, you do not say a 
word. You were so eloquent in trying to gain me over to this 
alliance with Prussia ; you assured me so often that Prussia 
was waiting only for me to call upon her, when she would ally 
herself with me ; and now — ” 

“ Now, your majesty,” said Count Stadion, mournfuUy, “ I 
see, to my profound sorrow, that Prussia prefers her separate 
interests, to the interests of Germany ; and I confess that I 
was mistaken in Prussia.” 

“ And you tried to convince me that I was wrong in enter- 
taining a different opinion ; and my esteemed brother yonder 
spoke so wisely and loftily of our Prussian brethren, and the 
united Germany which we would form together ! Well, you 
shall see at least that, although I yielded, and, to get rid of all 
you wise men, applied to Prussia, I did not believe in the suc- 
cess of the mission. Minister, be kind enough now to take 
* The archduke’s own words.— See his “ Letters to Johannes von Muller,” 
p. 91. 


304 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the letter which you have kept for me so long. There ! Now 
break the nice seal, open the letter, and read to us what I 
wrote on the day when I dispatched Colonel Steigentesch to 
the King of Prussia. Read ! ” 

Stadion unfolded the letter and read : 

“ Colonel Steigentesch will return from his mission with- 
out accomplishing any thing. Prussia and Austria are rivals 
in Germany, and will never join hands in a common under- 
taking. Austria can never forgive Prussia for taking Silesia 
from her, and Prussia will always secretly suspect that Austria 
is intent upon weakening her rising power and humbling her 
ambition. Hence, Prussia will hesitate and temporize even at 
this juncture, although it is all-important now for Germany 
to "take a bold stand against her common enemy, rapacious 
and insatiable Prance ; she will hesitate because she secretly 
wishes that Austria should be humiliated ; and she will not 
bear in mind that the weakening of Austria is fraught with 
danger for Prussia, nay, the whole of Germany. ” 

“ Now, gentlemen,” said the emperor, when Count Stadion 
was through, “ you see that my opinion was right, and that I 
well knew what I had to expect from Prussia. We must now 
carry on the struggle against France single-handed ; hut. after 
dealing her another blow, for which the King of Prussia longs, 
we shall take good care not to invite Prussia to our victorious 
repast. It would be just in us even to compel her to give us 
the sweet morsel of Silesia for our dessert. Well, we shall see 
what time will bring about. Our first blow against France 
was successful. — Archduke, go and help us to succeed in dealing 
her another ; and, after defeating France single-handed, we 
shall also be masters of Germany.” 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM. 

“ At length ! ” exclaimed the Archduke John, joyously, 
holding up the letter which a courier of the generalissimo had 
just brought him from the headquarters of Wagram. “ At 


THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM. 


305 


length a decisive blow is to be struck. — Count Nugent, Gen- 
eral Frimont, come in here ! A courier from the generalis- 
simo ! ” 

So saying, the archduke had opened the door of his cabinet, 
and called the gentlemen who were in the anteroom. 

“ A courier from the generalissimo,” he repeated once more, 
when the two generals came in. 

“ Your highness’s wish is fulfilled now, is it not ? ” asked 
Nugent. “ The generalissimo accepts the assistance which 
you offered to him. He permits you to leave this position 
with your troops and those of the Archduke Palatine and re- 
enforce his own army ? ” — * 

“ No, he does not reply to my offer. It seems the general- 
issimo thinks that he does not need us to beat the French. 
But he writes to me that he is about to advance with his whole 
army, and that a decisive battle may he looked for. He says 
the enemy is still on the island of Lobau, busily engaged in 
erecting a tete-de-pont , and building a bridge across the 
Danube.” 

“ And our troops do not try to prevent this by all means ! ” 
cried General Frimont, vehemently. u They allow the enemy 
to build bridges ? They look on quietly while the enemy is 
preparing to leave the island, and do not prevent him from so 
doing ? ” 

“ My friend,” said the archduke, gently, “ let us never for- 
get that it does not behoove us to criticise the actions of the 
generalissimo, and that our sole duty is to obey. Do as I do ; 
let us be silent and submit. But let us rejoice that something 
will be done at length. Just bear in mind how long this 
inactivity and suspense have lasted already. The battle of 
Aspern was fought on the 22d of May, to-day is the 3d of 
July ; and in the mean time nothing has been done. The en- 
emy remained quietly on the island of Lobau, nursing his 
wounded, reorganizing his troops, erecting tetes-de-pont , and 
building bridges ; and the generalissimo stood with his whole 
army on the bank of the Danube, and took great pains to 
watch in idleness the busy enemy. Let us thank God, there- 
fore, that at last the enemy is tired of this situation, that he at 
length takes the initiative again, and brings about a decision. 




306 ANDREAS HOFER. 

The generalissimo informs me that the enemy’s artillery dis- 
lodged our outposts yesterday, and that some French infantry 
crossed over to the Miihlau. The generalissimo, as I told you 
before, advanced with his troops, and hopes for a decisive bat- 
tle within a few days.” 

“ And yet the generalissimo does not accept the assistance 
which your imperial highness offered to him ? ” asked Count 
Nugent, shaking his head. 

“ No, he does not. The generalissimo orders me, on the 
contrary, to stay here at Presburg and operate in such a man- 
ner against the corps stationed here, that it may not be able to 
join Napoleon’s main army. Well, then, gentlemen, let us 
comply with this order, and perform at least our humble part 
of the generalissimo’s grand plan. Let us help him to gain a 
victory, for the victory will be useful to the fatherland. We 
will, therefore, form a pontoon-bridge to-day, and make a sortie 
from the tete-de-pont. You, General Frimont, will order up 
the batteries from Comorn. You, General Nugent, will inform 
the Archduke Palatine of the generalissimo’s orders. Write 
him also that it is positive that the enemy is moving all his 
troops to Vienna, and that all his columns are already on the 
march thither. Tell him that it is all-important for us to de- 
tain him, and that I, therefore, have resolved to make a sortie 
from the tete-de-pont , and request the Archduke Palatine to 
co-operate with me on the right bank of the Danube. Let us 
go to work, gentlemen, to work ! We have no time to lose. 
The order is to keep the enemy here by all means ; let us strive 
to do it I ” 

And they went to work with joyous zeal and untiring en- 
ergy ; all necessary dispositions were made for forming a pon- 
toon-bridge, and preventing the enemy from joining Napo- 
leon’s main army. The Archduke John superintended every 
thing in person ; he was present wherever difficulties were to 
be surmounted, or obstacles to be removed. In his ardent zeal, 
he did not hesitate to take part in the toils of his men, and the 
soldiers cheered enthusiastically on seeing him work so hard 
in the midst of their ranks. 

Early in the morning of the 5th of July the bridge was 
completed, the tite-de-pont w T as fully armed, and every thing 





THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM. 


307 


was in readiness for the sortie. The Archduke, who had not 
slept all the night long, was just returning from an inspection 
of the preparations, when a courier galloped up to him in the 
middle of the bridge. On beholding the archduke, he jumped 
from his horse, and handed him, panting and in trembling 
haste, a letter from the generalissimo. 

“ You have ridden very rapidly ? You were instructed 
then to make great haste ? ” asked John. 

“I rode hither from Wagram in ten hours, your imperial 
highness, 1 ’ said the courier, breathlessly ; “ I was instructed to 
ride as rapidly as possible.” 

“ You have done your duty faithfully. Go and rest.” 

He nodded kindly to the courier, and repaired to his head- 
quarters to read the letter he had just received from his 
brother. 

This letter revoked all orders which had been sent to him 
up to this time. The archduke had vainly offered his co- 
operation and that of the Archduke Palatine four days ago. 
At that time not even a reply had been made to his offer ; 
now, at the last moment, the generalissimo called impetuously 
upon his brother to hasten to his assistance. He demanded 
that the Archduke John should set out at once, leave only 
troops enough to hold the tete-de-pont , and hasten up with the 
remainder of his forces to the scene of action. 

When the archduke read this order, a bitter smile played 
round his lips. “ See,” he said, mournfully, to General Fri- 
mont, “ now I am needed all at once, and it seems as if the 
battle cannot be gained without us. It is all-important for us 
to arrive in time at the point to which we are called so late, 
perhaps too late. Ah, what is that ? What do you bring to 
me, Nugent ? ” 

“Another courier from the generalissimo has arrived ; he 
brought this letter. ” 

“ You see, much deference is paid to us all of a sudden ; we 
are treated as highly important assistants,” sighed the arch- 
duke. He then unfolded the paper quickly and read it. 

“The generalissimo,” he said, “informs me now that he 
has changed his plan, and will not give battle on the bank of 
the Danube, but take position in the rear of Wagram. He 


308 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


instructs me to make a forced march to Marchegg, advance, 
after resting there for three hours, to Siebenbrunn, and take 
position there. Very well, gentlemen, let us carry the gen- 
eralissimo’s orders into effect. At one o’clock to-night, all 
must be in readiness for setting out. We need the time be- 
tween now and then to concentrate the extended lines of 
our troops. If we are ready at an earlier hour, we shall set 
out at once. Make haste ! Let that be the password to- 
night ! ” 

Thanks to this password, all the troops had been concen- 
trated by midnight, and the march was just about to begin 
when another courier arrived from the generalissimo, and 
informed the archduke that the enemy was advancing, and 
that it was now the generalissimo’s intention to attack him 
and force him to give battle. The Archduke John was ordered 
to march as rapidly as possible to Siebenbrunn, whither a 
strong corps of the enemy had set out. 

The Archduke John now advanced with his ten thousand 
men with the utmost rapidity toward Marchegg. The troops 
were exhausted by the toils and fatigues of the last days ; they 
had not eaten any thing for twenty-four hours ; but the arch- 
duke and his generals and staff-officers always knew how to 
stir them up and induce them to continue their march with 
unflagging energy. Thus they at length reached Marchegg, 
where they were to rest for three hours. 

But no sooner had they arrived there than Count Reuss, 
the generalissimo’s aide-de-camp, galloped up on a charger 
covered all over with foam. The count had ridden in seven 
hours from Wagram to Marchegg, for it was all-important 
that the archduke should accelerate his march. The battle 
was raging already with great fury. The generalissimo was 
in urgent need of the archduke’s assistance. Hence, the latter 
was not to rest with his troops at Marchegg, hut continue his 
march and advance with the utmost speed by Siebenbrunn to 
Loibersdorf. At Siebenbrunn he would find Field-Marshal 
Rosenberg ; he should then, jointly with him, attack the 
enemy. 

“Let us set out, then, for Loibersdorf,” said John, sighing ; 
“ we will do all we can, and thus avoid being charged with 


THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM. 


309 


tardiness. Up, up, my braves ! The fatherland calls us ; we 
must obey it ! ” 

But the soldiers obeyed this order only with low murmurs, 
and many remained at Marchegg, exhausted to death. 

The troops continued their march with restless speed, and 
mute resignation. The archduke’s face was pale, his flashing 
eyes were constantly prying into the distance, his breast was 
panting, his heart was filled with indescribable anxiety, and 
he exhorted his troops incessantly to accelerate their steps. 
Now they heard the dull roar of artillery at a distance ; and 
the farther they advanced, the louder and more terrific re- 
sounded the cannon. The battle, therefore, was going on, and 
the utmost rapidity was necessary on their part. Forward, 
therefore, forward ! At five o’clock in the afternoon they at 
last reached Siebenbrunn. But where was Field-Marshal 
Rosenberg ? What did it mean that the roar of artillery had 
almost entirely died away ? And what dreadful signs sur- 
rounded the horizon on all sides ? Tremendous clouds of 
smoke, burning villages everywhere, and added to them now 
the stillness of death, which was even more horrible after the 
booming of artillery which had shaken the earth up to this 
time. Where was Field-Marshal Rosenberg ? 

An officer galloped up at full speed. It was a messenger 
from Field-Marshal Rosenberg, who informed the archduke 
that he had been repulsed, that all was over, and that the day 
was irretrievably lost. 

“ I have been ordered to march to Loibersdorf,” said the 
archduke, resolutely ; “ I must comply with my instructions.” 

And he continued his march toward Loibersdorf. Patrols 
were sent out and approached Wagram. The fields were cov- 
ered with the dead and wounded, and the latter stated amid 
moans and lamentations that a dreadful battle had been 
fought, and that the Austrians had been defeated. 

The archduke listened to these reports with a pale face and 
quivering lips. But he was still in hopes that he would re- 
ceive a message from the generalissimo ; hence, he remained 
at Loibersdorf and waited for news from his brother. Night 
came ; profound stillness reigned all around, broken only now 
and then by dull reports of cannon and musketry fired at a 


310 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


distance ; and there was no news yet from the generalissi- 
mo ! 

One of the patrols now brought in a French officer who 
had got separated from his men, and whom the Austrians had 
taken prisoner. The archduke sent for him, and asked him 
for information regarding the important events of the day. 

The officer gave him the required information with spark- 
ling eyes and in a jubilant voice. A great battle had been 
fought during the previous two days. The French army had 
left the Island of Lobau on four bridges, w T hich Napoleon had 
caused to be built in a single night by two hundred carpenters, 
and had given battle to the Archduke Charles at Wagram. 
A furious combat had raged on the 5th and 6th of July. 
Both armies had fought with equal boldness, bravery, and ex- 
asperation ; but finally the Archduke Charles had been com- 
pelled to evacuate the field of battle and retreat. The Em- 
peror Napoleon had remained in possession of the field ; he 
had gained the battle of Wagram. 

Large drops of sweat stood on the archduke’s forehead 
while he was listening to this report ; his eyes filled with tears 
of indignation and anger ; his lips quivered, and he lifted his 
eyes reproachfully to heaven. Then he turned slowly to Gen- 
eral Frimont, who was halting by his side, and behind whom 
were to be seen the gloomy, mournful faces of the other 
officers. 

“ The generalissimo has lost a battle,” he said, with a sigh. 

“ This is a twofold calamity for us. You know that we could 
not come sooner. We arrived even at an earlier hour than I 
had promised. You will see that the whole blame for the loss 
of the battle will be laid at our door, and we shall be charged 
with undue tardiness. This pretended tardiness will be wel- 
come to many a one. A scapegoat is needed, and I shall have 
to be this scapegoat ! ” * 

The Archduke John was not mistaken ; he had predicted 
his fate. He was really to be the scapegoat for the loss of the 
battle. In the proclamation which the Archduke Charles 
issued to his army a few days afterward at Znaym, and in 

* The archduke’s own words.— See Hormayr’s work on “ The Campaign 
of 1809,” p. 236. 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


311 


which he informed it that he had concluded an armistice with 
the Emperor Napoleon, he deplored that, owing to the too late 
arrival of the Archduke J ohn, the battle had not been won, 
despite the admirable bravery which the troops had displayed 
at Wagram, and that the generalissimo had been compelled 
thereby to retreat. 

The Archduke J ohn did not defend himself. He lifted his 
tearful eyes to heaven and sighed : “ Another battle lost, and 
this battle decides the fate of Austria ! Now Prussia will not 
ally herself with us, for we did not strike the second blow 
which the king demanded, and she will look on quietly while 
Austria is being humiliated ! O God, God, protect Austria ! 
Protect Germany ! save us from utter ruin ! ” 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 

The guests of Anthony Steeger, the innkeeper of Lienz, had 
been greatly excited to-day ; they had talked, debated, lamented, 
and sworn a great deal. In accordance with the request 
of Andreas Hofer, the most influential leaders of the Tyrolese 
had met there and drawn up, as Hofer proposed, a petition to 
the Emperor Francis, who was now in Hungary at one of the 
palaces belonging to the Prince of Lichtenstein. The disas- 
trous tidings of the battle of Wagram had been followed a few 
days afterward by news fully as disheartening. The Arch- 
duke Charles had concluded an armistice with the Emperor 
Napoleon at Znaym, on the 12th of July, 1809. By this armis- 
tice hostilities were to be suspended till the 20th of August ; 
but in the mean time the Austrians were to evacuate the Tyrol, 
Styria. and Carinthia entirely, and restore to the Bavarians 
and French the fortified cities which they had occupied. 

These calamitous terms of the armistice had induced An- 
dreas Hofer to summon some of his friends to Lienz, and draw 
up with them a petition to the emperor, in which they im- 
plored him with touching humility to have mercy upon them 
in their distress, and not to forsake his faithful Tyrol. They 


312 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


stated that they had been told that the Austrian troops, in 
accordance with the stipulations of the armistice, were to 
evacute the Tyrol, but this did not confer upon the French 
and Bavarians the right of occupying the Tyrol. They be- 
sought the emperor to prevent this, and not to permit the 
enemy to occupy the country. 

Such were the contents of the petition which Andreas 
Hofer and the other leaders of the Tyrolese had signed to-day 
at the inn of Anthony Steeger, at Lienz, and which Jacob 
Sieberer was to convey as the last cry of the despairing Tyrol 
to the headquarters of the emperor at Totis, while Eisen- 
stecken was to deliver a copy of the petition to General Buol, 
commander-in-chief of the Austrian troops. 

Night had now come ; the friends and comrades had long 
since left Anthony Steegers house, and Andreas Hofer alone 
remained with him to talk with his faithful friend about the 
disastrous change in their affairs, and the gloomy prospects of 
the future. 

“I cannot believe that all is as they say,” said Andreas 
Hofer, with a sigh. “The emperor promised us solemnly 
never to give up or forsake again his faithful Tyrol, and it 
would be high-treason to suppose that the emperor will not 
honestly redeem his pledges. No, no ; I tell you, Anthony, 
the emperor and our dear Archduke John certainly do not 
intend to abandon us ; only the Austrian generals are op- 
posed to the continuance of the war, and long to get away 
from our mountains, because they are afraid of Bonaparte, 
and think he would punish them if they should stay here any 
longer and refuse to deliver the province to his tender mer- 
cies.” 

“ I am likewise loth to believe that the Emperor Francis 
would forsake us,” said Anthony Steeger, nodding his head 
approvingly. “ For the emperor loves us, and will not allow 
us to fall into the hands of the infidel Bonaparte, who has 
just committed another outrage by arresting the Holy Father 
in Rome and dragging him away from his capital.” 

“Well, the Holy Father excommunicated him for this 
outrage,” cried Andreas Hofer, with flashing eyes ; “ he called 
down the wrath of God and man on the head of the Anti- 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


313 


christ, and rendered it incumbent on every pious Christian to 
wage war against the criminal who laid his ruthless hands even 
upon the holy Church, and trampled under foot him whom the 
Almighty has anointed. Anthony Steeger, let me tell you, I 
will not allow the French to return to our country, and never 
will I permit the Austrians to evacuate the Tyrol/’ 

“ And how will you prevent them from so doing ? ” asked 
Anthony Steeger, shrugging his shoulders. 

“ I said to-day how I and all of us are going to prevent it. 
We shall not suffer the Austrians to depart ; we shall keep 
them here by prayers, stratagems, or force. I have given in- 
structions to all the commanders to do so ; I have given 
them written orders which they are to communicate to our 
other friends, and in which I command them not to permit 
the departure of the Austrians. I believe I am commander- 
in-chief as yet, and they will obey my bidding.” 

“ If they can do it, Andy, they certainly will ; but what if 
they cannot ? What if the Austrians cannot be kept here by 
prayers or stratagem ? ” 

“ In that case we must resort to force,” cried Hofer, im- 
petuously. “We must compel them to stay here ; the whole 
Tyrol must rise as one man and with its strong arms keep the 
Austrians in the country. Yes, yes, Anthony, we must do it ; 
it will be best for us all. It must look as though we de- 
tain the Austrians by force, and this will be most agreeable 
to the Emperor Francis ; for what fault of his is it that the 
Tyrolese prevent him from carrying out what he promised to 
Bonaparte in the armistice ? It is not his fault, then, if the 
Austrians stay here, and if we prevent them from leaving our 
mountains. We must detain them, we must. And I will 
write immediately to old Red-beard, Father Haspinger, Jo- 
seph Speckbacher, and Anthony Wallner. I will summon 
them to a conference with me, and we will concert measures 
for a renewed rising of the Tyrol. Give me pen and ink, 
Tony; I will write in the first place to old Red-beard, and 
your Joe shall take the letter this very night to his con- 
vent.” 

Anthony Steeger hastened to bring him w’hat he wanted, 
and while Hofer scrawled the letter, his friend stood behind 


314 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


him, and followed with attentive eyes every word which An- 
dreas finished with considerable difficulty. 

Both were so much absorbed in the letter that they did not 
perceive that the door opened behind them, and that Baron 
von Hormayr, in a dusty travelling-dress, entered the room. 
For a moment he stood still at the door and cast a searching 
glance on the two men ; he then advanced quickly toward 
Andreas Hofer, and, laying his hand on his shoulder, he said : 
u Well, Andy, what are you writing there ?” 

Andreas looked up, but the unexpected arrival of the 
baron did not seem to excite his surprise. u I am writing to 
old Red-beard,” he said ; “ I am writing to him that he is to 
come to me immediately. And after finishing the letter to 
old Red-beard, I will write the same thing to Speckbacher 
and Anthony Wallner, Mr. Intendant of the Tyrol.” 

“ Do not apply that title to me any longer, Andy,” said 
Hormayr, with a slight frown. k ‘ I am no longer intendant 
of the Tyrol, for you know that we must leave the Tyrol and 
restore it to the French and Bavarians.” 

“ I for one do not know it, Mr. Intendant of the Tyrol,” 
cried Andreas, with an angry glance. u I know only that the 
Archduke John appointed you military intendant of the Tyr- 
ol, and that you took a solemn oath to aid us in becoming 
once more, and remaining, Austrians.” 

“I think, Andy, I have honestly redeemed my pledges,” 
said Hormayr. “ I assisted you everywhere to the best of my 
power, was always in your midst, encouraging, organizing, 
fighting, and mediating ; and I think you will admit that I 
had likewise my little share in the deliverance of the Tyrol, 
and proved myself one of its good and faithful sons.” 

“ Well, yes, it is true,” murmured Hofer ; u you did a great 
deal of good, and, above all things, you gained over to our 
side the Austrian generals, who would not have anything to 
do with us peasants, and refused to make common cause with 
us ; for you possess a very eloquent tongue, and what can be 
accomplished by means of the tongue you do accomplish. 
But now, sir, the tongue will no longer suffice, and we must 
fight also with the sword.” 

“ God forbid, Andy ! ” exclaimed Hormayr ; “ you know 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


315 


that the emperor has concluded an armistice with Bona- 
parte, and while it lasts we are not allowed to fight with the 
sword.” 

“ The emperor has concluded an armistice ? Well, then, 
let there be an armistice. But you will not confine yourself 
to an armistice — you intend to evacuate the Tyrol. That 
seems to me no fair armistice, and therefore I shall summon 
old Red-beard, and my other faithful friends, and concert 
with them measures to prevent you from concluding such an 
unfair armistice, and forsaking us. ” 

“ And Andy is right in doing so ! ” exclaimed Anthony 
Steeger. ‘’We must not permit the Austrians to leave the 
province, and we are firmly resolved that we will not.” 

“You are fools, both of you,” said Hormayr, shrugging his 
shoulders. “ The Emperor Francis agreed positively that the 
Austrian troops should evacuate the Tyrol during the armis- 
tice ; hence, the troops must leave, lest the emperor should 
break his word.” 

“ But if they do, the emperor breaks the word he pledged 
to us,” cried Anthony Steeger, vehemently. 

“ Anthony Steeger,” said Hormayr, sternly, “ I have come 
hither to have an interview with Andreas Hofer, to whom I 
wish to communicate something of great importance. There- 
fore, be so kind as to withdraw, and leave me alone with 
him.” 

“ I believe Andy does not want to keep any thing secret 
from me, and I might, therefore, just as well stay here. Say, 
Andy, is it not so ? ” 

“ It is. Speak, Mr. Intendant ; Tony may hear it all.” 

“ No, Andy, I shall not speak unless I am alone with you ; 
and what I have to say to you is highly important to the 
Tyrol. But no one but yourself must hear it. ” 

“ If that is the case, go out and leave me alone with the in- 
tendant,” said Hofer, shaking hands with his friend. 

Anthony Steeger cast an angry glance on Hormayr, and 
left the room. “ I know very well why he wanted to get rid 
of me,” he growled, as soon as he was out in the hall. “ He 
intends to persuade Andreas Hofer to leave with the Austrians 
and abandon the Tyrol. He thinks when he is alone with 
21 


316 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Hofer, he will yield sooner because he is a weak and good- 
hearted man, who would like to comply with every one’s 
wishes. He thinks if I were present I should tell Andy the 
truth, and not permit him to desert our cause, and set a bad 
example to the others. Well, I will keep a sharp lookout, and 
if the intendant really tries to take him away with him, I will 
endeavor to detain him forcibly.” 

When the door had closed after Anthony Steeger, Hor- 
mayr nodded kindly to Andreas Hofer and shook hands with 
him. 

Now we are alone, Andy,” he said, “ and will speak con- 
fidentially a word which no one is to hear save us two.” 

“ But you should always bear in mind that God Almighty 
is present, and listens to us,” said Hofer, lifting his eyes de- 
voutly to heaven. 

“We shall speak nothing that can offend the good God ! ” 
exclaimed Hormayr, laughing. “We shall speak of you, 
Andy, and the Tyrol. I wish to pray you, Andy, in the name 
of the Archduke John, who sent me to you, and who sent his 
kindest greetings with me, not to close your ears against good 
and well-meant advice.” 

“ What did the archduke say ? What does he want of 
me ? ” asked Andreas, quickly. 

“ He wishes Andreas Hofer, like himself, to submit to the 
emperor’s orders quietly and patiently ; he wishes Andreas 
Hofer to yield to stern necessity, and no longer sow the seeds 
of hatred and discord, but obey the will of his master with 
Christian humility and resignation. He wishes Andreas Hofer 
to set a good example to all the Tyrolese, and undertake noth- 
ing in opposition to the stipulations of the armistice ; and the 
Archduke John finally wishes his beloved Andreas Hofer to 
secure his life and liberty by leaving the Tyrol with the Aus- 
trian troops, and remaining for some time under the protec- 
tion of the imperial army.” 

“ Never, never will I do that ! ” cried Andreas, vehe- 
mently ; “ never will I leave my beloved country ! I swore to 
the priest, and in my own heart, that, while I lived, I would 
be faithful to my God, my emperor, and my country, and that 
I would spill the last drop of blood for our liberty, our consti- 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


317 


tution, and our emperor ; and never will I break my oath, 
never will I desert my flag like a faithless soldier ! ” 

“ But, Andy, you are not to desert it, but only convey it to 
a place of safety for a short time. Listen to me, Andy, and 
let me tell you all about it. You think all may be changed 
yet, and you may prevent the Austrians from leaving your 
mountains. But unfortunately it is already too late. Already 
the Austrian general-in-chief, Baron von Buol, has concen- 
trated his scattered forces, and marched them to-night from 
Brixen to Schabs. There you can do nothing against him ; 
his artillery and ammunition are safe there, and you cannot 
hinder him from marching with his troops this very day into 
Carinthia.” 

“ But we can prevent General Schmidt from surrendering 
the fortress of Sachsenburg to General Rusca,” cried Andreas, 
triumphantly. 

“ Do you think Commander Joseph Turk, in Upper Carin- 
thia, surprised and occupied the fortress of Sachsenburg im- 
mediately, because you wrote to him to do so previous to Rus- 
ca’s arrival ? You look at me so wonderingly, you big child ? 
See, here is your letter to Joseph Turk ! Our men intercepted 
it ; hence, Joseph Turk did not occupy the fortress, and Gen- 
eral Rusca has arrived there already.” 

“ It is my letter, indeed,” sighed Andreas Hofer, staring at 
the paper which Hormayr had handed to him. “ They did 
not allow it to reach Joseph Turk ; they no longer respect 
what I say and do.” 

“ They cannot, Andy, for your and their superior, the em- 
peror, has ordered the soldiers to evacuate the Tyrol. It was 
surely most repugnant to the emperor to do so, and I know 
that the Archduke John shed tears of grief and rage on being 
obliged to instruct General Buol to evacuate the Tyrol. But 
he submitted to stern necessity, and you will do so too, 
Andy.” 

“ What am I to do, then ? What do you want of me ? ” 
asked Andreas, with tears in his eyes. 

“The Archduke John wants you to preserve yourself for 
better times, Andy. He implores you to repair to a place of 
safety, not only for the sake of your w T ife and children, but 


318 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


also for that of your fatherland. Believe me, Andreas, a 
gloomy time is dawning upon the Tyrol. The enemy is ap- 
proaching on all sides, and the French and Bavarians have 
already crossed the frontiers of the Tyrol in order to occupy it 
again. ” 

“ And all our blood has been shed in vain ! ” cried Hofer, 
bursting into tears. “ All the faithful Tyrolese who have fall- 
en in battle gave up their lives for nothing. We fought 
bravely ; the good God helped us in battle ; but men deserted 
us, and even the emperor, for whom we fought, will not redeem 
the pledges he gave us, nor help us in our sore distress.” 

“ The emperor will never abandon his faithful Tyrolese,” 
said Hormayr ; “only you must be patient. He cannot do 
any thing now : he can not endanger his whole empire to 
serve the small province of the Tyrol. For the time being, 
further resistance is out of the question, but the emperor profits 
by the armistice to concentrate a new army ; and when hos- 
tilities are resumed, he will first think of the Tyrol, and de- 
liver it from the enemy.” 

“ But until then the Tyrol itself ought to maintain its lib- 
erty ! ” exclaimed Andreas Hofer, with flashing eyes. “ Lis- 
ten to what I wish to say to you, Mr. Intendant, and what God 
Himself prompts me to tell you. I see full well that the em- 
peror himself is unable to speak for the Tyrol, and cannot or- 
der his troops to remain in the country ; I see full well that 
the emperor, sorely pressed as he is by Bonaparte, cannot do 
any thing for us. But until he is ready again, some one ought 
to be courageous enough to take his place, and, as the em- 
peror’s lieutenant, defend the Tyrol against the enemy. You, 
Mr. Intendant, are the man to do it. You have often assured 
us that you were a brave and patriotic son of the Tyrol ; prove 
now that you told us the truth. Instead of leaving the Tyrol 
at this hour of its greatest peril, and surrendering it to the en- 
emy, place yourself at its head, protect it against the enemy, 
and preserve it to the emperor. * Become Duke of Tyrol, take 
charge of the government and defence of the country. As pro- 
visional duke, call upon the faithful people to take up arms, 
and they wfill rise as one man and defend its frontiers against 
“ Gallery of Heroes.: Andreas Hofer,” p. 103. 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


319 


every enemy. Rule over the Tyrol in the emperor’s place, 
until he himself is able again to do so and fold us again to his 
heart.” 

“ What you say is nonsense, Andy,” exclaimed Hormayr, 
shrugging his shoulders. “You want me to become provi- 
sional Duke of Tyrol ? Why, the whole world would laugh at 
me, and the emperor would punish me as a rebel ! ” 

“ Well, then,” cried Andreas Hofer, in a powerful voice, 
“ if you will not do it, I will ! I shall take charge of the gov- 
ernment and call myself 4 Andreas Hofer, Sandwirth of Pas- 
seyr and Duke of Tyrol,’ as long as it pleases God ! ” * 

“ No, you will not, Andy,” said Hormayr, gravely ; “ you 
will be sensible, on the contrary, and not, from worldly pride, 
endanger your country, your friends, and yourself. Bear in 
mind, Andy, that you would be responsible for the blood that 
would be shed, if you should incite the people to rebellion, 
and that you would be the murderer of all those who should 
fall in the struggle provoked by you so recklessly and in open 
opposition to the orders of your emperor. Bow your head, 
Andy, and submit as we all do. Intrust your and our cause to 
God ; as it is good and just, He will not forsake it, but ren- 
der it victorious when it is time.” 

4 ‘ I believe you,” sighed Andreas ; “ but how can I keep quiet 
when, as you have often told me, I am God’s instrument and 
destined by Him to deliver the dear Tyrol from the enemy ? 
And what would my brave lieutenants say if their com- 
mander-in-chief, Andreas Hofer, were to leave the country in 
its sore distress, after he had taken an oath to defend it while 
he lived ? Would they not point their fingers at me, and call 
me a traitor, a Judas Iscariot who sold his country for the 
sake of his own safety ? ” 

“ You are mistaken, Andy. You think your friends, the 
captains and other commanders, with whom you fought for 
the deliverance of the Tyrol, would despise you if you fol- 
lowed the Austrians now and saved your life ? Now listen to 
me, my friend. Your best friends, the brave Tyrolese cap- 
tains, in whom you repose the greatest confidence, will leave 

* Andreas Hofer’s own words.— See Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. ii., 
p. 361. 


320 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the Tyrol this very day of their own accord and accompany 
our Austrian troops to Carinthia.” 

“ That is false, that is impossible ! ” cried Andreas, ve- 
hemently. “ Speckbachcr will never do so.” 

“Yes, he will, Andy. I saw him this morning. He re- 
sisted and fought as long as he could ; but since the armistice 
compels him to lay down the sword, and since, moreover, the 
French and Bavarians are entering the country once more, he 
feels that it is better for him to save his life than be caught 
and hung here by the vindictive enemy. Hence, Speck- 
bacher accepted the offer of the Austrian officers, and will ac- 
company them.” 

“ Joseph Speckbacher will leave the Tyrol ? ” murmured 
Andreas Hofer, mournfully. 

“ And he is not the only one, Andreas : Aschbacher, Piich- 
ler, Sieberer, and many other brave captains of the Tyrolese, 
will likewise leave with the Austrians. All have asked me to 
implore you to follow their example, and flee from the perils 
menacing you all. Oh, believe them, believe me, Andreas ! 
If you stay here, the Bavarians will not rest until they have 
taken you prisoner — until their hated enemy, the formidable 
Barbone, has fallen into their hands. Dear Andy, think of 
your wife at home, the faithful Anna Gertrude, who prays for 
you morning and evening, and beseeches the Almighty to 
spare the life of her dear husband ; think of your dear chil- 
dren, whose only protector and supporter you are ; do not 
make your dear wife a widow, nor your sweet children or- 
phans ! Andreas Hofer, you cannot now be useful to the 
fatherland ; save yourself, then, for your wife and children ! ” 

“ My good wife, my dear children ! ” sighed Andreas, pro- 
foundly moved ; “ it is true, they love me dearly, and would 
be very lonely on earth if their father should be taken from 
them !” 

“ Preserve their father to them, then, and preserve yourself 
also to the fatherland ! Follow the example of your brave 
friends Speckbacher, Aschbacher, Sieberer, and all the others; 
accompany us, leave the Tyrol for a while, and when the time 
has come, return with them and fight once more for the de- 
liverance of the country.” 


THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 


321 


“ Speckbacher will leave, and so will all the others,” mur- 
mured Andreas to himself. “ The Tyrol will fall again into 
the enemy’s hands, and all has been in vain ! ” 

He hung his head and heaved a deep sigh. 

“ Come, Andreas, be sensible ; think of yourself and your 
family,” said Hormayr, beseechingly. “ I have come hither 
for the sole purpose of taking you with me ; let me not have 
travelled in vain from Brixen to Lienz. Come, Andreas, 
come ! My carriage is in readiness at the door ; let us ride to- 
gether to Matrey. Speckbacher, the other friends, and the 
Austrians are waiting for us there ; we shall cross the Tyro- 
lese frontier with them this very day, and you and all your 
friends will be safe. Therefore, do not hesitate any longer, 
but come ! ” 

“ I cannot make up my mind so suddenly,” said Hofer, dis- 
engaging himself gently from the hand of Hormayr, who was 
trying to draw him up from his chair. “ It is a grave, mo- 
mentous step which you ask me to take, and before I can do 
so I must consult God and pray to him fervently. Therefore, 
pray leave me alone a little while, that I may speak to the 
good God and consult him and my conscience.” 

“Very well, Andy, I give you a quarter of an hour to 
make up your mind,” exclaimed Hormayr, approaching the 
door. 

“ A quarter of an hour is not enough,” said Andreas, shak- 
ing his head. “ It is late 'at night, and night is the time for 
repose and prayer. Therefore, stay here, Mr. Intendant ; sleep 
a few hours, and to-morrow morning, at sunrise, come to my 
chamber and awaken me. I will tell you then what God in 
heaven has told me to do.” 

“You pledge me your word, Andreas, that you will not 
leave during the present night ? ” 

“I do. I shall stay here. And now good-night. My 
heart is profoundly moved, and I long for repose. This is my 
chamber ; I begged Anthony Steeger to let me have it ; he 
has fine rooms for aristocratic guests up-stairs, and he will 
give you one of them. “ Now good-night, sir ! ” 

He bowed kindly to the baron, shook hands with him, and 
conducted him to the door. 


322 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

HOFER AND SPECKBACHER. 

Scarcely had the sun risen next morning when Baron 
von Hormayr arose and quickly prepared every thing for 
their departure. After seeing that his carriage was at the 
street door, he descended the staircase in order to go to An- 
dreas Hofer. 

Anthony Steeger followed him with a gloomy face, and 
watched his every movement attentively. “ If he tries to take 
Andy with him,” he said to himself, “ I will strangle him. It 
is true, he has told me already that Hofer will accompany 
him, but I do not believe it, and he shall not coax him away. 
This time I shall be present, and see what he is after.” 

They stood now in front of Hofer’s door, and Hormayr put 
his hand on the knob to open it, but it was locked on the 
inside. 

“ Andreas Hofer, Andreas Hofer ! ” he shouted out almost 
imperatively. “ The time is up ; come to me, Andreas Ho- 
fer ! ” 

The door opened, and the tall, powerful form of the Sand- 
wirth appeared in it. 

“ Here I am,” he said, smiling calmly, “ and you see I am 
ready to set out.” 

“You will accompany me then, Andy ?” asked Hormayr, 
joyfully. 

“ You will leave us ? ” cried Anthony Steeger, indignantly. 

“ I was waiting for you, sir,” said Andreas, quietly ; “ and 
if you had not come of your own accord, Tony, I should have 
called you, for you shall hear what I have got to say to the 
intendant. Come in, then, both of you, and let us speak a 
last word with each other. Anthony Steeger, Baron von 
Hormayr, our countryman, came hither to persuade me to ac- 
company him and leave the Tyrol. Our friends will do the 
same thing, for the Bavarians and French are already enter- 
ing the country. Speckbacher, Sieberer, and others, will save 
their lives for this reason, and go with the Austrians ; and 


HOFER AND SPECKBACHER. 


323 


the intendant thinks I ought to do the same, for the sake of 
my wife and children. However, I wished first to consult the 
good God. I did so all night long. I prayed and reflected a 
great deal, and it seemed to me as though the Lord spoke to 
me and enlightened my soul to find the true path. Listen 
then, Mr. Intendant of the Tyrol, and you, too, friend Anthony 
Steeger, to what I have resolved to do with God’s assistance. 
I took an oath to serve the fatherland as long as I lived ; as 
an honest man, I must* keep my word, and stay in the Tyrol.” 

Anthony Steeger uttered a loud cry of joy, hut Hormayr’s 
face grew very sombre. “ You do not see, then, that you are 
rushing upon your own destruction ? ” he asked. “ You are 
intent on rendering your wife and children unhappy ? You 
are bent on incurring the most imminent peril ? ” 

“ I will incur it courageously,” said Hofer, kindly. “ I know 
very well that what I am about to do is not prudent, but it is 
right. When the tempter took Jesus up into an exceeding 
high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world 
and their glory, and said, 4 All these things will I give Thee, 
if thou wilt fall down and worship me,’ the Saviour did not 
accept the offer, but remained true to Himself, and sealed His 
teachings with his death. I will follow the Saviour’s ex- 
ample, and never, while I live, prove recreant to the love 
which I vowed to the dear Tyrol ; never will I leave it, but I 
will stand by it and serve it to the last. Depart, then, Baron 
von Hormayr ; I cannot accompany you, for the country 
keeps me here, and never will I abandon it whatever may 
happen ! ” * 

“ Is that your last word, Andreas ? ” asked Hormayr, 
gloomily. 

“It is,” said Hofer, gently. “But pray, sir, do not be 
angry with me for it. Were I more prudent and sagacious, 
I should certainly follow your advice ; but l am only a plain 
peasant, and cannot but obey the promptings of my. heart. 
Let the Austrians leave the Tyrol. Andreas Hofer cannot 
accompany them, nor can he look on quietly while the enemy 
is re-entering the country. Many brave men, many excellent 
sharpshooters will remain in the Tyrol, and I shall call upon 
* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” vol. iii., p. 104. 


324 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


them to rally round me. We have twice delivered the country 
from the enemy without any outside assistance, and we shall, 
perhaps, succeed a third time.” 

“ But if you should fail,” cried Hormayr, “ if the seduced 
Tyrolese should curse you, if the tears and lamentations of 
your family should accuse you, if you ruin yourself and your 
country, then remember this hour, and the warning I gave 
you in order to save you ! ” 

“ I will, Mr. Intendant,” said Andreas, calmly. “ Every 
one must do his duty after his own fashion. You think you 
are doing yours by leaving the Tyrol ; I think I do mine by 
staying in the country. God will decide which did right. 
And now, God bless you, sir ! Greet Speckbacher and all the 
others ; and when you see the Archduke John, tell him that 
my heart has not lost faith in him, and that I know full well 
he would never have given up the poor Tyrol if he could have 
helped it. And now, sir, do not look at me so indignantly ; 
shake hands with me, and let us part in peace.” 

He held out his hand, but Hormayr, overcome by his emo- 
tion, spread out his arms and threw them around Hofer’s neck 
with an air of impassioned tenderness. 

“ Farewell, Andy, farewell,” he said, in a low voice. “ I 
cannot approve of what you are doing, but I must love and 
admire you for all that. Farewell, farewell ! ” 

He disengaged himself quickly, hastened out of the room, 
and walked hurriedly through the hall. A few minutes after- 
ward his carriage rolled away with thundering noise. 

“ He is gone ! ” cried Anthony Steeger, joyously ; “ the tempt- 
er has left us, and you have remained firm, Andy; you did 
not allow yourself to be seduced by his blandishments. The 
Tyrol will reward you and love you for it for evermore ! ” 

“ If you speak the truth, it is well ; if you do not, it is well 
too,” said Andreas, calmly. “ I remain because it is my duty, 
and because I feel that the Tyrol needs me. Anthony, the 
enemy is re-entering the country ; we must drive him out a 
third time ; that is my opinion. ” 

“It is mine, too,” replied Anthony Steeger, exultingly. 

“ After succeeding twice in so doing, we shall expel him a 
third time also.” 


HOFER AND SPECKBACHER. 


325 


“It is true, it is a bad and mournful thing that Speck- 
bacher is going to desert us,” said Andreas, musingly; but 
Anthony Wallner and the Capuchin will surely stand by us, 
and Peter Mayer will not leave us either. Besides, you are 
here, and so am I, and we five men will raise our voices and 
call upon the people to rise and expel the enemy once 
more. I believe the brave men will listen to our voices, and 
not one of them will stay at home ; all will come to us, 
bring their rifles with them, and fight the French and Bava- 
rians.” 

“ I think so too, Andy. When the brave Tyrolese hear 
your voice, they will come to a man, and we will achieve 
another Innspruck triumph, and gain another victory on 
Mount Isel.” 

“ God grant it in His mercy ! ” exclaimed Andreas, touch- 
ing the crucifix on his breast. “ But I must set out now, my 
friend. So long as we are unable to cope with the enemy, we 
must avoid meeting him, conceal our forces, and prepare 
actively for the struggle. Hence, I shall not tell you where 
I am going, and no one shall learn of my whereabouts until 
the time has come for me to appear once more at the head of 
a strong and brave army. Do your duty here, Tony, and en- 
list courageous sharpshooters for the fatherland. Inform all 
the patriots secretly of my plan, and tell them that we must 
not heed the armistice concluded by Austria, but must fight 
on for our liberty and our emperor. Have my horse brought 
to the door, my friend ; the sun is already over the moun- 
tains, and it is time for me to start.” 

Anthony Steeger hastened away ; he saddled his friend’s 
horse with his own hands and brought him to the door. 
Andreas vaulted with the agility of a youth into the saddle, 
and shook hands with his friend. 

“Farewell, Anthony Steeger,” he said; “you shall hear 
from me soon.” 

. He then spurred his horse and galloped along the high- 
way leading through the Puster valley. His horse knew the 
way very well ; it was unnecessary for Andreas Hofer to 
guide him ; he could let him trot along quietly, and absorb 
himself in his plans and thoughts. He was animated only 


326 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


by one idea, that bis beloved country was in danger, and that 
it needed him. 

“ I do not know if I shall be able to save it,” he murmured 
to himself, “ but I do know that I must not run away. I shall 
hide as long as it is necessary, and prepare myself by prayer 
and devotion. Forward, my horse, forward ! ” 

And he rode on through the valley and across the heights. 
Profound silence reigned everywhere. It was yet early in the 
morning, the road was quite deserted, and Andreas could 
brood uninterruptedly over his thoughts and conceive his 
plans. All at once his musings were interrupted by the roll of 
a wagon approaching on the road. It was a large wagon 
with racks, drawn by four horses, and many men sat in it. 
Andreas Hofer was as yet unable to see who they were, but 
the red and white colours of their gold-and-silver-embroidered 
coats showed him that they were soldiers. When tbe wagon 
came closer up to him, he recognized them ; they were Aus- 
trian officers and soldiers. But who was he that occupied 
one of the front seats among them ? Who was that tall, 
slender man in the dress of the Tyrolese, his head covered 
with a pointed green hat ? The wagon came nearer and 
nearer. Andreas Hofer halted his horse and looked stead- 
fastly at the Tyrolese seated in the midst of the Austrian 
officers. “ Good heavens,” he murmured, giving a start, “ I 
believe it is Joseph Speckbacher ! Yes, yes, it is.” 

Now the wagon was close by his side, and it was really 
he, it was Joseph Speckbacher ; and it was plainly to be seen 
that he had likewise recognized Andreas Hofer, for he uttered 
a cry, and a deep blush suffused his cheeks. But the Aus- 
trian officers had also recognized the brave Sandwirth, the uni- 
versally beloved Barbone, and they shouted to the coachman 
to drive quicker and whip his horses into a full gallop. The 
coachman did so, and the carriage sped away at a furious rate. 
Andreas Hofer halted at the roadside ; his tearful eyes gazed 
upon his friend, and when Speckbacher was whirled past him, 
Andreas exclaimed in a loud, mournful voice, “ Speckbacher, 
are you too going to desert the country ? They are driving 
you to your own disgrace, Joe ! ” * 

* Andreas Hofer’s own words. — See'Mayr’s “ Joseph Speckbacher,” p. 143. 


HOFER AND SPECKBACHER. 


327 


The wagon passed him noisily, and Joseph Speckbacher’s 
horse, which was tied behind, galloped rapidly after it. An- 
dreas Hofer looked after his friend until a cloud of dust en- 
veloped the disappearing wagon, and he heard only the sound 
of the wheels at a distance. He then heaved a deep sigh, 
wiped a tear from his eye, and rode on. But his heart was 
heavy and melancholy, and his thoughts returned again and 
again during his ride on the lonely road to Joseph Speck- 
bacher, who had turned his back on the Tyrol and was about 
to leave it in the hour of its sorest distress. Suddenly he 
thought he heard his own name uttered behind ; the call was 
repeated louder and more urgently. 

Andreas Hofer halted his horse and turned. A cloud of 
dust came up the road like a whirlwind ; now it opened, and 
the head and neck of a horse and the slender rider mounted 
on him came in view. The cloud veils his face as yet, but he 
comes nearer and nearer ; his horse is now by Andreas Hofer s 
side, the rider stretches out his arms toward him and exclaims 
exultingly : “ Andy, here I am ! I heard what you said, and 
jumped from the wagon, untied my horse, vaulted into the 
saddle, and sped after you, my Andy. I had to overtake you 
and tell you that I do not want to be disgraced ; that I will 
not leave the Tyrol unless you do too.” 

“I never will, Joe, unless I should die,” said Andreas 
Hofer, solemnly. “ But God be praised that I have got you 
back, for a piece of my heart would have left the country with 
you. But you are back, and I am so glad of it ! And I must 
give you a kiss in the name of God, the country, and the Em- 
peror Francis. W elcome home, good and faithful son of the 
fatherland ! ” 

He encircled Speckbacher’s neck with his arms and im- 
printed a kiss on his forehead. They remained locked in a 
long embrace, keeping their horses side by side, and gazing 
at each other with proud, smiling joy. 

“ And now tell me, Andy, what are you going to do?” 
asked Speckbacher, after a long pause. “I hope you will not 
look on quietly and peaceably while the Bavarians and French 
are re-entering the country ? I could not bear it, and this was 
the very reason why I did not want to stay in the country ; 


328 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


for the Austrian officers told me, if I wished to remain in the 
Tyrol, I should have to keep very quiet and allow the enemy 
to take possession of the province, in accordance with the 
stipulations of the armistice. And you see, Andy, my heart 
revolted at that ; therefore I wished to get away and remain 
abroad until the armistice had expired, when we would be 
once more allowed to fight bravely for our country and our 
emperor.” 

“No one shall prevent us from doing so now,” said An- 
dreas, calmly. “What do we care for the armistice? The 
emperor concluded it ; we did not, and I believe the emperor 
will not blame us for ‘disregarding it and continuing the war 
as we commenced it.” 

“You are right, we will do so,” exclaimed Speckbacher, 
joyfully. “ And now I will communicate to you some impor- 
tant news which the Austrian officers received only this morn- 
ing. Anthony Wallner, of Windisch-Matrey is also of your 
opinion ; he refuses likewise to acknowledge the armistice 
and make peace with the enemy. When the Bavarians, four 
days ago, intended to cross the frontier near Windisch-Ma- 
trey, Anthony Wallner and John Panzl went to meet them 
with four hundred sharpshooters whom they had gathered in 
great haste. They took position at the bridge of Taxenbach 
and tried to prevent the Bavarians from crossing it. The Ba- 
varians were seven thousand strong, and Wallner had only 
four hundred men ; but our friends, nevertheless, defended 
the bridge for seven hours, killed and wounded over three 
hundred Bavarians, and retreated into the mountains only be- 
cause the odds were too great.” * 

“I know Anthony Wallner, and was convinced that he 
would not submit quietly,” said Andreas, joyfully. “ And we 
will follow his example, Joseph. The good God has imposed 
on us the task of defending the Tyrol, and we will fulfil it 
faithfully.” 

“Yes, we will, and we will begin this very hour. We 
must find out, above all things, if all of our countrymen 
are of our opinion, and if they are courageous enough 

* Peternader, “Die Tyroler Landesvertheidigung im Jahre 1809,” vol. ii., 
p. 84. 


HOFER AND SPECKBACHER. 329 

to continue the struggle, even after the Austrians have 
left us.” 

“What good did the Austrians do us while they were 
here ? ” asked Andreas, indignantly. “ Let me tell you, Joe, 
on the whole I am glad that the Austrians are evacuating 
the province. It is better for us to fight alone, and trust 
only our own strength. Regular troops and insurgents 
never fight well together in the end, for there are always 
jealousies between them ; they mutually charge each other 
with the blunders committed during the campaign, and 
grudge each other the glory obtained in the battles. Hence, 
it is better for us to be alone and have no other allies 
than the good God, the Holy Virgin, and her blessed 
Son.” * 

“You are right, always right, Andy,” said Speckbacher. 
“We will go courageously to work, then ; and you shall see, 
my Andy, that Speckbacher is still what he always was, and 
that he will henceforth never think of leaving the country, 
but will stand faithfully by it and fight until the enemy has 
been expelled once more, and we are free again. I will ride 
now through the whole Puster valley, and then from Brun- 
ecken through the Dux valley to my home, the Rinn ; and I 
will stir up the people everywhere, and call upon the men to 
follow me and fight once more for liberty and the father- 
land.” 

“ Do so, Joe, and I will follow your example. I will re- 
turn to the Passeyr valley ; you shall all hear from me be- 
fore long, and then my voice shall resound throughout the 
Tyrol. God will make it strong enough to penetrate to every 
ear, and fill every heart with enthusiastic devotion to the 
country and the emperor. Farewell, then, Joseph ! The 
Tyrol and I have recovered you, and my heart thanks God 
fervently for it. Farewell, you shall hear from me before 
long ! ” 

He nodded once more kindly to Joseph Speckbacher and 
galloped down the valley, while Speckbacher trotted up the 
mountain-path . 

Andreas Hofer rode all day long through the country. He 

* Andreas Hofer’s own words.— See Mayr’s “ Joseph Speckbacher,” p. 145. 


330 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


saw the people everywhere in commotion and uproar ; they 
greeted him with jubilant cheers, and the men swore every- 
where that they would not allow the enemy to re-enter the 
country without resistance ; that they did not believe in the 
pacific assurances of the proclamations with which the Bava- 
rians had flooded the country ; that they were satisfied, on the 
contrary, that the enemy would revenge himself as cruelly as 
he had done after his return in May ; and that they were, 
therefore, firmly resolved to fight and expel the enemy once 
more. 

“Get your rifles and ammunition, then, and prepare for 
the struggle,” said Andreas Hofer everywhere to the men who 
were so full of ardor. “You shall hear from me soon, and 
learn what God wants us to do.” 

Andreas Hofer did not rest even at night. The great task 
which was imposed upon him urged him on incessantly. He 
therefore profited by the clear moonlight to ride across the 
Jan fen, and at daybreak his horse neighed joyously and 
stopped at the bank of the foaming Passey r, at no great dis- 
tance from the white house of the Sandwirth, the home which 
contained his greatest treasures on earth, his wife and chil- 
dren. 

But Andreas Hofer did not intend to return to them now ; 
he did not want to have his heart softened by the sight of his 
wife, who would certainly weep and lament on learning of his 
resolve to renew the war against the Bavarians and French. 
And for the same reason he wished to avoid meeting his chil- 
dren, whose dear faces might remind him that he was about 
to endanger the life of their father, and that their bright eyes 
might soon fill with tears of bitter grief. He would speak only 
to God, and solitude was to be his sole adviser. Andreas 
Hofer greeted his house and its beloved inmates with a long, 
tearful look ; he then dried his eyes and alighted. The horse 
neighed joyously and sped merrily down the hill toward his 
stable. But Andreas Hofer took a by-path and ascended the 
mountain through the forest and shrubbery to the Kellerlahn, 
a cave known only to him and some of his intimate friends, 
where his faithful servant had prepared him a couch, and 
kept always in readiness for him, in a secret cupboard fixed in 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


331 

the rock, wine and food, some prayer-books, and writing-ma- 
terials. 

In this cave Andreas Hofer intended to pass a few days in 
prayer and solitude. 


CHAPTER XXX. 

THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 

A great festival was to be celebrated at Brixen to-day. It 
was the 2d of August, the day of St. Cassian, and not only 
were the bones of this saint, which reposed in the cathedral 
adorned with two splendid towers, to be exhibited, as they 
were every year, to the devout pilgrims, but the pious bishop 
had resolved that these sacred relics should be carried in sol- 
emn procession through the whole city, that all might have 
an opportunity to see the saint’s remains and implore the as- 
sistance of God in the sore distress which had befallen the 
Tyrol again. Since early morning, therefore, the peasantry 
had been flocking from all sides toward the gates of Brixen ; 
women and children, young and old men, came from all parts 
of the country to take part in the solemn procession and the 
devout prayers for the welfare of the country. 

Among those who were wandering along the road to Brixen, 
was a monk of strikingly bold and martial appearance. His 
tall, broad-shouldered form was remarkable for its military 
bearing ; his long, well-kept red whiskers and mustache did 
not correspond to the tonsure on his head, which was covered 
with thin reddish ringlets ; and in striking contrast with it 
were likewise the broad red scar on his healthy sunburnt 
countenance, and the bright, defiant glance of his eyes, which 
indicated boldness and intrepidity rather than piety and hu- 
mility. He had tucked up his brown robe, and thus exhibited 
his stout legs, which seemed to mock the soft sandals encasing 
his broad, powerful feet. In his hand he held a long brown 
staff, terminating at its upper end in a carved image of St. 
Francis ; and the Capuchin did not carry this staff in order 
to lean upon it, but he brandished it in the air like a sword, 
22 


332 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


or held it up triumphantly as though it were a victorious 
banner. 

But however strange and unusual the Capuchin’s appear- 
ance might be, no one laughed at him, but he was greeted 
everywhere with demonstrations of love and reverence ; and 
when he passed some slow wanderers with his rapid step, they 
looked after him with joyful surprise, and said to each other, 
“ Look at old Red-beard, look at brave Father Haspinger ! He 
has fought often enough for the fatherland. Now he is going 
to pray for the Tyrol.” 

u Pray, and fight again, if need be,” said the friar, turning 
to the speakers. 

“ You think, then, reverend father, that there will be war 
again ? ” asked many voices ; and dense groups surrounded 
the friar, and asked him anxiously if he advised them to allow 
the enemy to re-enter the country ; if it would not be better to 
drive him back forcibly, or if he thought it would be preferable 
for them to keep quiet and submit to stern necessity ? 

“ I think there is a time for every thing — for keeping quiet 
as well as for fighting, for praying as well as for politics,” 
said Father Haspinger, shrugging his shoulders. “ If you 
wish to pray and confess your sins, come to me. I am ready 
to teach you how to pray, and exhort you with true earnest- 
ness. But if you want to fight and expel the enemy from the 
country, why do you not apply to your commanders, and con- 
sult, above all, the brave and pious Andreas Hofer ? ” 

“We cannot find him anywhere,” shouted several voices. 
u He is not at home, and even his wife does not know where 
he has concealed himself.” 

“Do you, impious wretches, think that the most pious man 
in the whole Tyrol, Andreas Hofer, has concealed himself be- 
cause he is afraid of the Bavarians who are re-entering the 
country ? ” asked the friar, in a thundering voice. 

“ No, your reverence, we do not. We know well that An- 
dreas Hofer will not act like Ashbacher, Sieberer, Teimer, 
Eisenstecken, and Speckbacher, and abandon us in our sore 
distress.” 

“ He who does not extricate himself from his sore distress 
will not be saved by others,” cried the friar, indignantly. 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


333 


“ Do you not know the eleventh commandment you white- 
livered cowards, who think you are lost when there is no 
leader to put himself at your head ? Do you not know the 
eleventh commandment, saying that he who trusts in God 
and fights well will overpower his enemies ? But you will 
never overpower your enemies ; you do not trust in God, and 
hence you can not fight well.” 

“ But we will fight well, your reverence,” replied the men, 
with hold, defiant glances ; “ only our leaders do not stand by 
us. Every one cannot fight alone and at random, but there 
must be some one at the lead to lead the whole movement. 
Since Andreas Hofer cannot be found, pray put yourself at 
our head, your reverence, and become our leader ! ” 

“ That request is not so stupid,” said the Capuchin, smiling, 
and stroking his red beard. “ You know very well that old 
Red-beard does not stay at home when an effort is to be made 
to save the fatherland, and perhaps I may soon be able to ac- 
cept your offer and call upon you to defend the Tyrol.” 

“ Do so, do call upon us,” shouted the men enthusiastically. 
“We will not permit the French and Bavarians to murder 
our people and burn our houses as they did last May ; we will 
fight rather until we have driven them from the country or 
perished to a man I” 

“ These are brave and pious sentiments,” said Father Has- 
pinger, his eyes flashing for joy ; “ and we will speak further 
about them. Come up to the church of Latzfons to-morrow, 
and hear me preach ; and after the sermon we will confer as 
to the state of the country. But now keep quiet, for you see 
we are at the gate of Brixen ; turn your souls, therefore, to 
God, and pray St. Cassian to have mercy upon you, and inter- 
cede for you with God and the Redeemer.” 

And Father Haspinger’s face became suddenly very grave 
and devout ; he lifted the rosary hanging at his belt, and, 
while entering the city by the gate, he commenced praying a 
Pater-noster in an undertone. 

The city meanwhile was already in great commotion. The 
bells had begun to ring their solemn peals, and all devout 
worshippers, consisting on this occasion of the whole popula- 
tion of the city, were flocking to the cathedral. All at once 


334 


ANDREAS HOEER. 


the doors of the cathedral were thrown open, and under a 
gold-embroidered baldachin borne by four priests appeared 
the pious bishop, carrying in his uplifted right hand the casket 
containing the bones of Saint Cassian. Behind the bishop 
came the priests bearing wax-lights, and singing soul-stirring 
hymns. Next followed the long line of acolytes with smok- 
ing censers ; and pious worshippers, carrying torches, and re- 
peating the hymns intoned by the priests, closed the pro- 
cession. This procession gained strength at every step as it 
advanced, and soon it had been joined by the whole popula- 
tion of the city and the hundreds of pious pilgrims who had 
flocked to Brixen to take part in the holy festival. 

Haspinger, the Capuchin friar, was likewise in the proces- 
sion ; he walked in the midst of the brave peasants with whom 
he had conversed, singing with head erect and in a tone of sol- 
emn earnestness the hymns with which the holy relics were 
being invoked. Only it seemed to the peasants who heard his 
powerful voice as though he somewhat changed the passage 
imploring Saint Cassian to grant the Tyrolese peace, protec- 
tion, and tranquillity, and prayed for the very reverse. The 
passage was as follows : “ Have mercy upon our weakness, and 
grant us peace and tranquillity.” But Father Haspinger, 
brandishing his staff with the image of Saint Francis, sang in 
a tone of fervent piety : “ Have mercy upon our valor, and 
grant us war ! ” To those who looked at him wonderingly on 
account of this change of the text, he nodded with a shrewd 
twinkle of his eyes, and murmured : “ Come to-morrow to the 
church of Latzfons. We will hold a council of war there ! ” 

The procession had not yet finished one-half of its route, 
and had just reached the market-place when a horseman gal- 
loped up the street leading from the gate to the market-place. 
It was probably a belated worshipper, who intended to take 
part in the procession. He alighted hurriedly from his horse, 
and tied it to the brass knob of a street-door, and then walked 
close up to the procession. However, he did not join it, but 
stood still and contemplated every passer-by with prying 
eyes. Now he seemed to have found him whom he sought, 
for a smile illuminated his sunburnt face, and he advanced 
directly toward Father Haspinger, who was singing again : 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


335 


“Have mercy upon our valor, and grant us war ! ” But on 
perceiving the young lad who was approaching him, he 
paused, and a bright gleam of joy overspread his features. 

“It is Andreas Hofer’s servant, Anthony Wild,’’ mur- 
mured Father Haspinger, joyfully, holding out his hand to 
the lad. “ Say, Tony, do you come to bring me a message 
from brother Andreas ? ” 

“ I do, reverend sir. The Sandwirth sends me to you, and 
as I did not meet you at your convent of Seeben near Klausen, 
I followed you to Brixen ; for my master instructed me to 
deliver my message as quickly as possible into your hands and 
return with your answer.” 

“ What message do you bring me, Tony ? ” 

“This letter, reverend sir.” 

The friar took it and put it quickly into his belt. “ Where 
is brother Andreas ? ” he asked. 

“ In the cave which is known only to him, to you, and to 
myself,” whispered Anthony Wild, into the friar’s ear. “He 
awaits your reply there, reverend sir.” 

“ And you shall have it this very day, Tony. Now, how- 
ever, we will not forget our divine service, but worship God 
with sincere piety. Take the place behind me in the proces- 
sion ; and when we return to the cathedral, follow me where- 
ever I may go.” 

And the friar commenced singing again ; his hand, how- 
ever, no longer held the rosary, but he put it firmly on the 
letter which was concealed in his belt, and whose contents 
engrossed his thoughts. 

At length the procession had returned to the portals of the 
cathedral. Father Haspinger signed to the Sandwirth ’s serv- 
ant, who was walking behind him, and instead of accompany- 
ing the other worshippers into the church, he walked along 
the procession until he reached a tall, slender young man, 
with whom he had already exchanged many a glance. 

“ Martin Schenk,” said the friar to him, “ will you go 
home now ? ” 

“ I will, and I request you, reverend sir, to accompany me,” 
said the young man, hastily. “ I believe you will find a num- 
ber of friends at my house. Peter Kemnater, the innkeeper of 


336 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Schabs, and Peter Mayer, the innkeeper of Mahr, will be there. 
I invited them, and had I known that you would be here, I 
should have invited you too.” 

“ You see that I come without being invited, for I think the 
fatherland has invited us all ; and I believe we will not par- 
take of an epicurean breakfast at your tavern to-day, hut con- 
fer as to the terrible calamities of our country. We are the 
cooks that will prepare a very spicy and unhealthy breakfast 
for the French and Bavarians, and I believe I am the bearer 
of some salt and pepper from Andreas Hofer for this purpose. 
See, Martin Schenck, in my belt here, by the side of the rosary, 
is a letter from our dear brother Andreas Hofer.” 

“ And what does he write to you ? I hope he does not 
want us to keep quiet and permit the enemy to re-enter the 
country, as all prudent and cautious people advise us to do ? ” 

“ Hush, hush, Martin ! do not insult our commander-in- 
chief by such a supposition. I have not read the letter yet, 
but I believe I know its contents, and could tell you before- 
hand every word that the good and faithful Andreas has 
written to us. Ah, here is your tavern, and let me ask a favor 
of you now. The lad who is following us is Andreas Hofer’s 
faithful servant, Anthony Wild, who brought me the letter 
from his master, and who must wait for my answer. Give 
him a place where he may rest, and a good breakfast, for he 
must set out for home this very day.” 

“Come in, Anthony Wild ; you are welcome,” said the 
young innkeeper, shaking hands with Hofer’s servant. 

“ Thank you, but I must first fetch my horse, which I tied 
to a pole somewhere down the street. I rode very fast, and 
must first attend to the horse ; afterward I will request you to 
let me have some breakfast.” 

And Hofer’s servant hastened down the street. The inn- 
keeper and the friar entered the house and stepped into the 
large bar-room. Two men came to meet them there. 

One of them, a man about forty-five years old, dressed in 
the simple costume of the Tyrolese, and of a tall, powerful 
form, was Peter Mayer, known throughout the Tyrol as one 
of the most ardent and faithful patriots, and a man of extraor- 
dinary intrepidity, firmness, and energy. 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


337 


The other, a young man of scarcely twenty-two, slender yet 
well built, and far-famed for his fine appearance, boldness, and 
wealth, was Peter Kemnater, the most faithful and devoted 
friend of the fine-looking and patriotic young innkeeper, Mar- 
tin Schenk. 

The two men shook hands with the new-comers and bowed 
to them, but their faces were gloomy, and not the faintest 
gleam of a smile illuminated them. 

“Have you come hither, Father Joachim Haspinger, only 
to join in the peace-prayers ? ” asked Peter Mayer in his 
laconic style, fixing his dark, piercing eyes on the friar’s face. 

“No, Peter Mayer,” said the Capuchin, gravely ; “I have 
come hither because I wanted to see you three, and because I 
have to say many things to you. But previously let me read 
what our pious and patriotic brother Andreas Hofer has writ- 
ten to me.” 

“ You have a letter from Andreas Hofer ! ” exclaimed Mayer 
and Kemnater, joyfully. 

“Here it is,” said the friar, drawing it from his belt. 
“ Now give me a moment’s time to read the letter, and then 
we will confer upon the matter that brought us here.” 

He stepped to the window and unfolded the letter. While 
he was reading it, the three men looked at him with rapt sus- 
pense, seeking to read in his features the impression produced 
by Andreas Hofer’s words on the heart of the brave Capuchin. 
Indeed, the friar’s features brightened more and more, his 
forehead and face colored, and a smile illuminated his hard 
features. 

“ Listen, men,” he exclaimed triumphantly, waving the 
paper as though it were a flag ; “ listen to what Andreas writes 
to me ! ” And the friar read in a clarion voice : 

“ Dear brother Red-beard ! Beloved Father Joachim Has- 
pinger : You know, brother, that all has been in vain ; the 
Austrians are evacuating the country, and th® emperor, or 
rather not the emperor, but his ministers and secretaries, stipu- 
lated in the armistice concluded with Bonaparte, that the 
French and Bavarians should re-enter the Tyrol and recom- 
mence the infamous old system. But I think, even though 
the emperor has abandoned us, God Almighty will not do so ; 


338 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


and even though the Austrian soldiers are crossing our fron- 
tiers, our mountains and glaciers remain to us ; God placed 
them there to protect our frontiers, and He gave us strong 
arms and good rifles and keen eyes to discern the enemy and 
hit him. We are the inhabitants of the Tyrol, and the Aus- 
trian soldiers are not, hence it is incumbent on us to protect 
our frontiers, and prevent the enemy from invading our terri- 
tory. If you are of my opinion, gather about you as many 
brave sharpshooters as you can, call out the Landsturm where 
it is possible, tell the other commanders to do the same, and 
advance, if possible, at once toward the Brenner, where I hope 
you will meet me or hear further news from me. Joseph 
Speckbacher did not leave the country either ; he is enlisting 
sharpshooters and calling out the Landsturm in his district. 
It is the Lord's will that the Tyrol be henceforth protected 
only by the Tyrolese. Bear this in mind, and go to work. — 
Your faithful Andreas Hofer, at present not knowing where 
he is.” * 

‘‘Well,” asked the friar, exultingly, “do you think that 
Andreas Hofer is right, and that we ought not to allow the 
enemy to re-enter the country ? ” 

“ I think he is,” said Peter Kemnater, joyously. “ I think 
it will be glorious for us to expel the French and Bavarians 
once more from our frontiers.” 

“ Or, if they have already crossed them, drive them igno- 
miniously from the country,” added Peter Mayer. 

“I have passed, during the last few days, through the 
whole of Puster valley,” said Martin Schenk. “ Everywhere 
I found the men determined to die, rifle in hand, on the field 
of battle, rather than stay peaceably at home and bend their 
necks before the enemy. ‘It is a misfortune,’ said the men, 

‘ that the Austrians are abandoning us at this critical juncture ; 
but it would be a greater misfortune still for us to abandon 
ourselves and consent to surrender at discretion.' ” 

“ And I say it is no misfortune at all that the Austrians 
have left us,” cried the Capuchin, vehemently. “The cause 
of the fatherland has not suffered much by the retreat of the 

* Andreas Hofer signed all his letters and orders in this strange manner 
while he was concealed in his cave. 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


339 


Austrians. Who assisted us at the battle of Mouut Isel? 
Who helped us to drive the enemy twice from the country ? 
Not an Austrian did ! We accomplished all that was great 
and glorious in the short and decisive struggle. Let us not 
complain, then, that no one stands by us now, and that we 
know that no one will help us but God and w6 ourselves. 
But we must not plunge blindly and furiously into the strug- 
gle ; on the contrary, we must consider whether we are able 
to defeat the enemy. The French and Bavarians are sending 
large forces on all sides to the poor Tyrol. I cannot conceal 
from you that the enterprise which we are going to undertake, 
and to which Andreas Hofer invites us, is a dangerous one. 
Let me tell you that that miserable assassin and ruffian Lefebre, 
whom they call the Duke of Dantsic, is approaching from the 
north with twenty-five thousand men, and is already close to 
Innspruck. General Deroi, too, is coming ; he intends to 
march through the whole Vintschgau, and force his way over 
the Gerlos Mountains to the district of Innspruck. Busca’s 
wild legions are already near Lienz ; General Pery is moving 
up from the south with his Italian troops ; and the exasperated 
Bavarians, under Generals Wreden and Arco, are already at 
Salzburg. In short, more than fifty thousand men are com- 
ing up from all sides to trample the poor Tyrol under foot. 
They are veteran soldiers ; they have got artillery and better 
arms than we, and are superior to us in numbers, equipments, 
and strength. Consider, therefore, whether you are willing 
to undertake the heavy task nevertheless; consider that you 
risk your property, your blood, and your lives, and that, if you 
should be so unfortunate as to fall into the enemy’s hands, he 
would perhaps punish you as criminals and rebels. It is true, 
you are ready to risk your property, your blood, and your 
lives, for the fatherland and the liberty of the Tyrol ; but then 
you have also duties to your families, your parents, your 
brides ; you have a duty to yourselves — that of not endanger- 
ing your lives recklessly. It is true, even though the enemy 
should punish you as rebels, you would die the beautiful death 
of martyrs for your fatherland, and the halo of your virtue 
and love of country will immortalize your names; but you 
must consider, also, whether your death will be useful to the 


340 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


country, and whether you will not shed your blood in vain. 
Ask your hearts, my friends, whether they will be courageous 
and strong enough to brave cheerfully whatever reverses and 
calamities may befall us, and whether they really will risk 
death, imprisonment, and the scaffold, without flinching 
and trembling? That is what I wished to say to you 
before concerting measures with you and sending an an- 
swer to Andreas Hofer. Consider it all, my friends, and then 
speak.” 

“We are to ask our hearts if they will not flinch and trem- 
ble ? ” said Peter Mayer, almost contemptuously. “ When the 
enemy returned to the Tyrol last May, he burned down eight 
houses which belonged to me, and for some time I did not 
know but that my wife and children had perished in the 
conflagration. Did you see me tremble — did you hear me 
complain at that time ? Did I not stand up cheerfully in the 
battle on Mount Isel, without weeping or murmuring, and 
bearing in mind only that I was fighting for liberty, the 
fatherland, and the emperor ? It was not until we had gained 
the victory, and obtained our freedom, that I went home to 
mourn and weep on the smoking ruins of my houses. But I 
found my wife and my children alive and well ; a friend had 
concealed them and taken care of them ; and after thanking 
God for our victory, I thanked Him for preserving my wife 
and children ; and only now, when we were happy and free, 
did I shed tears. But since the enemy is re-entering the 
country, and fresh misfortunes are to befall us, my tears are 
dried again ; my heart is full of courage and constancy ; and 
I believe we must risk all, because otherwise every thing that 
we have done hitherto will be in vain. I love my wife dearly ; 
but, if she came now to dissuade me from taking part in the 
struggle, and if I felt that my heart was giving way to her 
persuasion, I would strangle her with my own hands, lest she 
should prevent me from serving the great cause of the father- 
land. It is true, our task is difficult, but it is not impossible; 
and that which is not impossible should be tried for the father- 
land ! I have given you my opinion ; it is your turn now, my 
young friends. Peter Kemnater, speak ! Tell Father Red- 
beard whether your heart is trembling and flinching, and 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


341 


whether you think we had better keep quiet, because the ene- 
my is so powerful and superior to us.” 

“ I have an affianced bride of whom I am very fond,” said 
Peter Kemnater, with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes ; “ a 
girl whom I love better than my parents, than anything in 
the world, and whom I intended to marry a fortnight hence; 
but I swear to God and the Holy Virgin that my wedding 
shall not take place until the Tyrol is free again, and we have 
expelled the enemy once more from the country. And if my 
bride should be angry at this, and demand that I should think 
more of her than of the fatherland, and prefer living for her 
alone to dying perhaps for the fatherland, I should break with 
her, and never look at her again, never speak another word 
with her. I have many houses and lands ; but even though 
I knew that my fields and meadows were to be devastated, 
and my houses burned down, like those of Peter Mayer, I 
should say, nevertheless, we will fight for the fatherland! 
We will defeat the enemy, even though we should all become 
beggars, and even though I knew that I should die before see- 
ing my affianced bride again, and that she would curse me in 
my grave. That is what I have got to say. Now you may 
speak, Martin Schenk: tell the father whether your heart is 
flinching and trembling.” 

“Yes, it is,” cried Martin Schenk, “but only when I think 
the men of the Tyrol could be so cowardly and mean-spirited 
as to keep quiet and submit to their oppressors, because the 
latter are powerful and superior to us in numbers. I have 
a young wife whom I married only a year ago, and who gave 
birth to a little boy a week since, and I assure you that I love 
her and her child with all my heart. But if I knew that their 
death would be useful to the fatherland, and would contribute 
to its salvation, I would shoot them with my own rifle, and 
should not weep on seeing their corpses at my feet; but I 
should rejoice and exclaim, 1 1 did it for the sake of the father- 
land; I sacrificed my most precious treasures for the beloved 
Tyrol.’ Even though the enemy is very strong and numer- 
ous, even though the emperor has abandoned us, God stands 
by us. The mountains stand firm yet; they are our fortresses, 
and we will fight in them until we are all dead, or until we 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


342 

have defeated the enemy, and delivered the Tyrol a third time. 
Now you know my opinion, Father Joachim Haspinger.” 

Thev Capuchin made no reply. He stood with hands 
clasped in prayer and eyes lifted to heaven, and two large 
tears rolled down his bronzed cheeks into his red beard. 

“ Great God in heaven,” he murmured in a voice tremu- 
lous with emotion, “ I thank Thee for letting me see this hour, 
and hear the soul-stirring words of these patriotic men. What 
can I say now, what have I to sacrifice to the fatherland ? I 
have no wife, no children, no property ; I am but a poor Capu- 
chin! I have nothing but my blood and my life. But I will 
give it to the country, even though the bishop and the abbot 
should excommunicate me for it and condemn my soul to 
burn in everlasting fire. It is better that a poor Capuchin’s 
soul should burn in hell than that the fatherland should 
groan with pain and wear the brand of disgrace and slavery 
on its forehead. It is better to be a faithless son of the bishop 
and abbot, than a faithless son of the fatherland. It is better 
to be a bad Christian than a bad patriot. Therefore, what- 
ever may happen, I shall share every thing with you, danger 
or victory, triumph or death. Henceforth I am no longer a 
Capuchin, but old Red-beard Joachim Haspinger, the de- 
fender of his country ; and I swear that I will no more lay 
down my head and repose before we have delivered the coun- 
try from the enemy and concluded an honorable peace. If 
that is your sentiment also, swear here before God that you 
will fight henceforth for the country, devote your whole 
strength to it, and perish rather than give up the struggle, 
make peace with the enemy, and submit to the Bavarian 
yoke.” 

And the three men lifted their hands and eyes to heaven, 
and exclaimed with one accord, in a loud and solemn tone : 
“We swear by God Almighty, and by all that is sacred and 
dear to us on earth, that we will fight henceforth for the 
country, devote our whole strength to it, and perish rather 
than give up the struggle, make peace with the enemy, and 
submit to the Bavarian yoke ! ” 

“ Benedictus ! benedictus ! ” cried Father Haspinger, laying 
his hands on those which the three men had joined on taking 


THE CAPUCHIN’S OATH. 


343 


the oath. “ The Lord has heard and accepted your oath ; the 
Lord will bless you, the Holy Virgin will protect you ! 
Amen !” 

“ And now let us concert measures for the struggle, and 
consider what we ought to do,” said the friar, after a pause. 
“ In the first place, we will inform Andreas Hofer that his 
wishes shall be complied with, and that we will call out the 
Landsturm and all our forces. Let me write to him, therefore, 
and then we will hold a council of war.” 

The council of war lasted until midnight ; and while all 
Europe was truckling to the “ invincible Emperor Napoleon,” 
while all Germany was lying humbly prostrate at his feet, and 
while all the princes were basking in the sunshine of his favor, 
four poor men, neither learned nor even well educated, three 
peasants and a monk, were concerting measures to bid de- 
fiance to “ Bonaparte, the robber of crowns,” and expel his 
powerful armies from their mountains ! All Germany was 
subjugated, and had given up all further resistance to the all- 
powerful conqueror ; only the small Tyrol would not suffer 
herself to be subjugated ; only the brave sons of the German 
mountains were still intent on braving the tyrant, and uphold- 
ing their liberty and independence, despite the formidable 
efforts he was making to crush them. 

Already on the following morning the tocsin sounded in 
all the valleys and on all the heights, and called upon the men 
to fight for the fatherland. After midnight the three brave 
men had left Brixen ; each had set out in a different direction 
to incite the men to insurrection, inform them of Andreas 
Hofer’s order, and implore them in the name of the fatherland 
to take up their rifles again and risk once more their lives for 
the deliverance of the Tyrol. 

Father Haspinger had walked all night to Latzfons, and 
on the following morning he preached to the people at the 
church of that place an enthusiastic sermon, in which he 
called upon them to make one more effort in behalf of their 
beloved country, and promised entire absolution for one year 
to every one who should kill a dozen French soldiers, and ab- 
solution for five years to any who should kill twice as many.* 
* Mayer’s “ Speckbacher,” p. 151. 


* 


344 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Carried away by the soul-stirring words and promises of 
the Capuchin, full of ardor to serve the fatherland, and de- 
sirous of obtaining absolution, the men took up arms, and even 
a company of women was formed for the holy service of the 
fatherland. 

At night on the same day three hundred sharpshooters had 
rallied around the martial friar, and with them he marched 
toward Unterau, constantly receiving re-enforcements on the 
road ; for the inhabitants everywhere rose again as one man, 
and with their redoubted rifles on their shoulders descended 
every lateral glen and ravine, and joined his command to con- 
quer or die under him. 

And joyful news arrived from all sides, announcing that 
the inhabitants were rising throughout the Tyrol. Already 
Peter Mayer and Peter Kemnater had gathered around them 
all the sharpshooters of the neighboring towns and villages, 
and their four companies now united with the friar’s troops. 
News also came from Andreas Hofer : he had emerged again 
from the cave, and at his call all the sharpshooters of the Pas- 
seyr valley had rallied around him, and companies had flocked 
to him from all parts of the country to fight again under their 
beloved commander-in-chief. Andreas Hofer had marched 
with them across the crest of the precipitous Jan fen, and his 
army gathering strength like a mountain-torrent from every 
tributary stream which crossed its course, soon embraced all 
the able-bodied men of Passey r, Meran, and Algund. 

The Tyrolese had risen a third time to defend the inde- 
pendence of their country. 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE FIRST BATTLE. 

What the four men had sworn at the inn of Brixen, and 
what Andreas Hofer had agreed upon with his friend Speck- 
bacher, had succeeded. The whole Tyrol had risen and was 
eager for the fray. A small army, commanded by Father 


THE FIRST BATTLE. 


345 


Haspinger, was encamped near Brixen, and received hourly- 
fresh accessions. Peter Kemnater and Peter Mayer were still 
traversing the country, and calling upon the peasants to repair 
to Father Red-beard’s camp near Brixen, and their appeals 
were readily complied with. The brave peasants of Rodeneck, 
Weitenthal, and Schoneck, led by their courageous pastor, 
George Schoneck, came into camp ; and so did Anthony Wall- 
ner with the four hundred men who had followed him from 
the Puster valley. 

Father Haspinger received these brave men exultingly, 
and folded their leader, Anthony Wallner, tenderly to his 
heart. 

“ You have fought again like a hero,” he exclaimed, pat- 
ting his cheeks affectionately ; “ the whole Tyrol is extolling 
your exploits at the murderous battle of Taxenbach, and they 
are telling wonderful stories about the surpassing heroism and 
bravery you displayed on that occasion.” 

“It is true, we fought bravely,” said Anthony Wallner, 
sighing ; “ but it did not do much good, for the enemy was 
ten to one, and we were finally unable to check his advance. 
But we followed him, and will now unite with you, reverend 
father, in order to expel him once more from the country. I 
believe there will be another battle on Mount Isel, for the en- 
emy is always intent on forcing his way to Innspruck, believ- 
ing that the whole Tyrol is subjugated so soon as the capital 
has fallen into his hands. We must strive, therefore, to meet 
him there once more ; for you know the old prophecy, saying 
that Mount Isel will be a lucky place for the Tyrolese.” 

“ I do know it,” said the friar ; “ and if it please God we 
will verify it. The freedom of the Tyrol is buried on Mount 
Isel near Innspruck, and we will disinter the golden treasure 
there and cause it to shed its lustre once more on our moun- 
tains and valleys. You shall help me to do it, Anthony Wall- 
ner, you and your famous sharpshooters of Windisch-Matrey. 
But previously I think, my friend, we shall have something 
to do here ; for our scouts have returned with the news that 
the enemy is approaching. His column is headed by Saxon 
and Bavarian troops under the French general, Royer ; his 
forces are followed by the main army under the commander- 


346 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


in-chief, Marshal Lefebvre, or as he proudly call himself, the 
Duke of Dantsic. General Royer has got already as far as 
Sterzing, and if we do not interfere the Saxons will soon reach 
Brixen.” 

“But we will interfere,” cried Anthony Wallner ; “we 
will not allow them to advance to Brixen, and I will occupy 
immediately with my sharpshooters the mountain-passes on 
the route of the enemy. "We will receive the Duke of Dantsic 
with fireworks which will sadden his heart.” 

“Do so, dear Anthony,” exclaimed Haspinger, joyfully. 
“ I myself will first go to Brixen and teach the members of 
the municipality better manners. Their terror and anguish 
have rendered them quite eloquent, and they have dissuaded 
many hundred peasants, who were passing through Brixen to 
join my command, from so doing, and induced them to return 
to their homes. I shall speak a serious word with those gen- 
tlemen, and teach them a little patriotism.” 

Haspinger nodded kindly to Anthony Wallner, and calling 
ten of his best sharpshooters to him repaired to the city hall 
of Brixen, where the members of the municipality were as- 
sembled. He made them a furious speech, which, however, 
did not impress the gentlemen as forcibly as the threats which 
he added to it. He swore that, if the members of the munici- 
pality would not have the tocsin sounded immediately and 
send out mounted messengers to call out the peasants and 
send them to him, he would cause every one of them to be 
hanged or shot in the morning ! And this oath was effectual 
enough, for the terrified gentlemen knew full well that Father 
Haspinger had the power and the will to fulfil his oaths. 
Hence, the tocsin was sounded, mounted messengers were sent 
out in all directions, and on the following morning upward 
of two thousand able-bodied men arrived at Haspinger’s 
camp.* 

“ All right,” said the friar ; “ if Andreas Hofer and Speck- 
bacher join us with their forces, I believe we shall succeed, 
and St. Cassian will have understood our prayers.” 

While Anthony Wallner and his sharpshooters occupied 
the mountain-gorges this side of Brixen on the road to Mitte- 
* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 110. 


TilE FIRST BATTLE. 


347 


wald, Joseph Speckbacher and his men had penetrated far be- 
yond Mittewald toward Sterzing, and had learned that the 
Saxons, under General Royer, were resting at Sterzing with 
the intention of advancing in the morning through the wild 
valley of the Eisach toward Brixen. 

“Well, if the Saxons are resting we must work in order to 
prepare eternal repose for them,” said Joseph Speckbacher, 
gayly. “ Now come, my brave lads, we must take the Saxons 
between two fires. They are miserable scoundrels and trai- 
tors. Ah, they do not shrink from serving the rapacious con- 
queror Bonaparte, and turning their arms against their Ger- 
man countrymen, merely because the French emperor orders 
them to do so, and because we refuse to submit to the foreign 
yoke and are determined to preserve our German tongue and 
our German rights ! How disgraceful it is that Germans 
should attack Germans at the bidding of the foreign oppress- 
or ! Therefore, we will punish the Saxons and Bavarians in 
the name of God and the Holy Virgin. We will let them ad- 
vance down the defile, and attack them only after they are in 
it. They cannot retrace their steps, for we are behind them ; 
nor can they advance very far, for Father Red-beard will meet 
them in front. Now come and let us make festive prepara- 
tions, as it behooves those who are expecting distinguished 
guests. We will erect a few triumphal arches to them, and 
show them how avalanches roll down our mountains. Ah, 
we will build up for them artificial ruins which will excite 
their sincere admiration ! ” 

“ Yes, yes, we will ! ” shouted the peasants, who went to 
work, singing and laughing. In the first place, they erected 
“ triumphal arches ” to the enemy ; that is to say, they ob- 
structed the road by raising a number of abatis, besmeared 
with pitch the wooden railing of the bridge built across the 
Eisach near the village of Pleis, loosened the planks of the 
bridge, and began to build “avalanches.” They felled a con- 
siderable number of tall larches, tied ropes to both ends of 
them, lowered them half-way down the precipitous side of the 
mountain, and fastened the ropes above to the strong branches 
of trees firmly rooted in the soil of the crest. Then they 
threw huge masses of rock and heaps of rubbish on these 
23 


348 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


hanging scaffolds ; and after the “ avalanches ” had thus been 
completed, they withdrew cautiously and rapidly into the 
mountain-gorges. Only Zoppel, Joseph Speckbacher’s servant, 
and an old peasant remained near the “avalanches.” They 
stood on both sides of the ropes, hatchet in hand, casting fiery 
glances into the defile on the bank of the Eisach, and between 
overhanging wood-clad precipices. 

Profound silence reigned all around ; only from time to 
time a rustling noise was heard in the shrubbery ; the flash- 
ing barrel of a rifle was then seen, and it seemed as though 
the fleet-footed chamois appeared on the heights above. But 
they were Tyrolese sharpshooters who had climbed up to the 
wa tch-towers of their natural fortresses to espy the enemy 
and on his appearance to welcome him with the bullets of 
their rifles. 

Profound silence reigned all around, and the two men were 
still standing, hatchet in hand, by the side of the ropes hold- 
ing the artificial avalanches. 

All at once a loud, shrill whistle resounded in front of the 
entrance to the defile ; it was repeated all around the gloomy 
gorge. 

“ That is the signal that the enemy has passed the inn am 
Sack and is entering the defile of the Eisach,” murmured Zop- 
pel, examining once more the edge of his hatchet with his 
hand. Then he looked down attentively into the depth, where 
only a footpath meandered close along the bank of the foam- 
ing Eisach. 

A few soldiers were now seen entering the defile yonder, 
where the road projected between two jutting rocks forming 
the background of the gorge. 

The form of a Tyrolese sharpshooter appeared at the same 
moment on the top of the precipitous rock. He stepped close 
to the edge of the rock, allowed the soldiers, who looked 
around slowly and distrustfully, to advance a few steps, and 
then raised his rifle. He fired; one of the soldiers fell im- 
mediately to the ground, and the Tyrolese sharpshooter re- 
loaded his rifle. He fired again, and laid another soldier pros- 
trate. 

The two reports had accelerated the march of the enemy. 


THE FIRST BATTLE. 


349 


The soldiers entered the defile with a hasty step ; in order to 
advance, they had to remove the two soldiers who were writh- 
ing in the agony of death and obstructing the narrow path, 
and throw them into the waters of the Eisach, which received 
with a wild roar the two corpses, the first victims of the reopen- 
ing struggle. 

Meanwhile the Tyrolese sharpshooter on the height above 
had reloaded his rifle and shot another soldier. On seeing 
this, he uttered a loud Jodler , made a leap of joy, and nodded 
laughingly to the enemy, who cast threatening glances on 
him. But he did not see that one of the officers below called 
four soldiers to him, pointed his hand at the top of the rock, 
and gave them a quick order. The four soldiers sprang at 
once from the ranks and disappeared in the shrubbery cover- 
ing the base of the rock. 

The sharpshooter was reloading his rifle, when the shrub- 
bery behind him rustled, and, on turning hastily, he saw one 
of the soldiers rushing toward him. A cry of rage burst from 
the lips of the sharpshooter. He then raised his rifle and 
fired. The soldier fell, but at the same moment one of his 
comrades hastened from the thicket toward the top of the 
rock. Another cry burst from the sharpshooter’s lips, but 
this time it sounded like a death-cry. He saw that he was 
lost, for already the uniforms of the other two soldiers were 
glittering among the trees, and the second soldier was only a 
few steps from the edge of the rock where the sharpshooter 
was standing. The Tyrolese cast a last despairing glance 
around him, as if to take leave of heaven and earth, and of 
the mountains and valleys of his beloved Tyrol. Then he 
threw down his rifle and seized the soldier furiously. His 
arms encircled the body of his enemy like iron clasps, and he 
forced him with irresistible impetuosity toward the edge of 
the rock. 

“ In God’s name, then,” he shouted in a loud voice echoed 
by the rocks all around. “ In God’s name, then ! ” 

With a last effort he threw himself with the soldier 
into the depth, and both disappeared in the waters of the 
Eisach. 

Speckbacher’s servant the faithful Zoppel, had seen and 


350 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


understood everything ; and when the two sank into the 
foaming torrent, he wiped a tear from his eyes. 

“ He died like a brave son of the Tyrol,” he murmured, “ and 
the Holy Virgin will assuredly bid him kindly welcome. 
But we, Hisel, will avenge, his death on the accursed enemy 
below.” 

Yes, we will,” cried the peasant grimly ; and he raised 
his hatchet with a furious gesture. 

u It is not yet time,” said Zoppel thoughtfully. “ Just wait 
until a larger body of troops has entered the defile. See, Hisel, 
how splendid they look in their gorgeous uniform, and how 
proudly they are marching on ! ” 

The Saxons did march on proudly, hut not with drums 
beating. They advanced in silence, filled with misgivings by 
the profound stillness which surrounded them all at once, 
listening attentively to every sound, and examining anxiously 
the top of every projecting rock. 

The head of the serried column had arrived now directly 
under the hanging “ avalanche ” in the middle of the gloomy 
defile. The silence was suddenly broken by a loud angry 
voice* which seemed to resound in the air like the croaking of 
the death-angel. 

This voice asked, “ Zoppel, shall I cut the rope now ? ” 

“ Not yet ! not yet ! ” replied another voice ; and the pre- 
cipitous rocks all around echoed “ Not yet ! not yet ! ” 

The Saxons gave a start and looked up. Whence came 
these voices ? What meant that huge black mass suspended 
on the precipitous side of the mountain right over their 
heads ? 

Thus they asked each other shudderingly and stood still, 
fixing their eyes on the black mass of rock and rubbish, which 
filled their hearts with wonder and dismay. 

“ Let us retrace our steps ! Let us not penetrate farther 
into the defile,” murmured the soldiers with trembling lips, 
but in so low a tone that the officers marching by their sides 
could not hear them. 

But the officers, too, were filled with strange misgivings $ 
they ordered the soldiers to halt, and hastened back to General 
Royer to report to him the mysterious words which they had 


THE FIRST BATTLE. 35 ^ 

heard, and to ask him whether they were to halt or retrace 
their steps. 

“ Advance at the double-quick ! ” commanded the general 
sternly. 

“ Advance at the double-quick ! ” they repeated to their sol- 
diers along the whole line ; the latter, in obedience to this or- 
der, hurried on under the black mass which still hung threat- 
eningly over their heads. 

All at once a powerful voice above shouted out : “ Now, 
Hisel, in the name of the Holy Trinity, cut the ropes ! ” 
Thereupon they heard the strokes of two hatchets. 

The soldiers, who were rushing forward in serried ranks, 
looked up again, and indescribable horror seized them. The 
black mass of rock and rubbish which had hitherto hung over 
them, commenced moving and rolling down with a terrible 
crash. A cloud of dust rose and filled the gloomy defile as 
wuth the smoke of powder. At the same time a heavy fire 
burst forth on all sides, and from amid the leafy screen the 
deadly bullets of the sharpshooters brought death with every 
discharge into the allied ranks. A death-like silence then en- 
sued for a moment, for out of the depths rose the wails and 
lamentations of the hundreds of soldiers who had been crushed 
and mutilated by the “avalanche.” The Tyrolese, filled with 
curiosity and compassion, looked down into the defile. The 
smoke and dust had disappeared, and they could distinctly 
survey the scene of horror, devastation, and death, in the 
gorge. 

Happy those whom the falling “avalanche” had hurled 
from the narrow footpath into the foaming torrent ! It is 
true, death had been in store for them there, but it had quickly 
put an end to their sufferings. But what was the agony of 
those who lay buried under the fragments of the rocks, their 
limbs fearfully mutilated ! What were the sufferings of the 
hundreds of soldiers lying on the road, on this narrow, gory 
path, upon which the “ avalanche ” had thundered down ! 

It was a horrible sight ; even the Tyrolese trembled on be- 
holding this rubbish, these fragments, whence large numbers 
of bloody corpses protruded, and amidst which torn, mutilated 
limbs were moving, while here and there soldiers, covered all 


352 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


over with dust, and bleeding from fearful wounds, tried pain- 
fully to raise themselves from the ground. 

Those of the Saxons who had not been struck by the ter- 
rible avalanche, fell hack shuddering. When the Tyrolese 
saw this, their compassion at the cruel fate of the dead gave 
way, and with deafening shouts they burst forth from their 
concealment, and, mingling with the enemy, a frightful 
slaughter took place. 

The Saxons rallied, however ; courageous discipline pre- 
sided over unskilled valor, and the column advanced slowly 
and painfully in the direction of the bridge, through a mur- 
derous fire, and surmounting the ruins which obstructed the 
road and covered the bodies of their comrades. 

All at once exultant shouts and cheers resounded at the 
entrance of the defile, and the clarion -notes of martial music 
joined in these stirring acclamations. Fresh troops, re-enforce- 
ments of the Saxons, were coming up from the rear. The Ba- 
varians had arrived with their artillery, which they had placed 
in a very favorable position ; they had already taken the two 
farm-houses at the entrance of the gorge where the Tyrolese 
had taken position, and were now 'rushing into the defile. 
The Tyrolese, dismayed at this impetuous advance, retreated 
into the mountains. 

For two days the struggle was continued in these gorges 
near Mittewald. For two days Saxons and Tyrolese opposed 
each other in this fratricidal contest, in which Germans fought 
against Germans in obedience to the behests of the tyrant 
who had subjugated all Germany, and to whom only the un- 
daunted Tyrol still offered a stubborn resistance. 

The victory was long undecided. Once the forces of the 
Duke of Dantsic succeeded at one extremity of the defile in 
driving back the sharpshooters under Joachim Haspinger, the 
Capuchin, and clearing a passage for the Saxons struggling in 
the gorge. But the Capuchin had retreated only to bring up 
fresh forces, dispatch messengers to Speckbacher, Peter Mayer, 
Andreas Hofer, and Anthony Wallner, sound tue tocsin, and 
concentrate more armed peasants. And Speckbacher came 
up with his brave sharpshooters in the rear of the Saxons ; 
Anthony Wallner and his men made their appearance like- 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 353 


wise ; Peter Mayer brought up fresh forces ; and Andreas 
Hofer sent word that he would be on hand speedily. But the 
Saxons were likewise re-enforced, both by the French, who 
moved up from Brixen, and the Bavarians, who approached 
from Sterzing. 

The contest was continued with unabated violence, and 
both sides struggled obstinately for the victory. But the 
Tyrolese fought for their rights, their liberty, their German 
country ; the Saxons and Bavarians fought for tyranny, for 
the foreign oppressor, and the subjugation of their country- 
men. God granted victory to the Tyrolese, and in the defile 
of Mittewald upward of a thousand Saxons had to atone by 
their death for having fought at the bidding of the French 
conqueror on German soil against their German countrymen. 

The Tyrolese fought for their rights, their liberty, their 
German country ; and the Duke of Dantsic, the proud mar- 
shal of France, was defeated by the despised peasants ; he had 
to flee from their wrath, and arrived without his cloak and 
hat, trembling and deathly pale, on his foaming horse at Ster- 
zing, which he had left a few hours previously with the firm 
conviction that he would inflict a crushing defeat upon the 
“haughty peasant-rabble.” Now this “ haughty peasant-rab- 
ble ” had defeated him. 

God is with those who fight for the rights and liberty of 
Germany. God is with those who rise boldly against French 
tyranny and French arrogance ! 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 

God is with those who fight for the rights and liberty of 
Germany. He had granted another victory to the Tyrolese. 

Animated by their brilliant successes, the patriots no longer 
stood on the defensive, but, flocking from all quarters to the 
standard of Hofer, assembled in great multitudes on Mount 
Isel, the scene of their former triumphs, and destined to be 


354 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


immortalized by a still more extraordinary victory. Lefebvre 
had collected his whole force, consisting of twenty-six thou- 
sand men, of whom two thousand were horse, with forty 
pieces of cannon, on the little plain which lies between Inn- 
spruck and the foot of the mountains on the southern side of 
the Inn. They were far from being animated, however, by 
their wonted spirit ; the repeated defeats they had experienced 
had inspired them with that mysterious dread of the moun- 
taineers with which regular troops are so often seized, when, 
contrary to expectation, they have been worsted by undisci- 
plined bodies of men ; and a secret feeling of the injustice of 
their cause, and the heroism with which they had been re- 
sisted, paralyzed many an arm which had never trembled 
before a regular army. 

The Tyrolese consisted of eighteen thousand men, three 
hundred of whom were Austrian soldiers who had refused to 
follow their officers, and remained to share the fate of the in- 
habitants. They were tolerably supplied with ammunition, 
but had little provisions, in consequence of which several 
hundred peasants had already gone back to their homes. 

Joseph Speckbacher commanded the right wing, whose 
line extended from the heights of Passberg to the bridges of 
Hall and Yolders ; Hofer was with the centre, and had his 
headquarters at the inn of Spade, on the Schonberg ; Haspin- 
ger directed the left, and advanced by Mutters. 

At four in the morning, the brave Capuchin roused Hofer 
from sleep, and, having first united with him in fervent 
prayer, hurried out to communicate his orders to the outposts. 

The battle commenced at six, and continued without inter- 
mission till midnight, the Bavarians constantly endeavoring 
to drive the Tyrolese from their position on Mount Isel, and 
they, in their turn, to force the enemy back into the town of 
Innspruck. 

For a long time the contest was undecided, the superior 
discipline and admirable artillery of the enemy prevailing 
over the impetuous but disorderly assaults and deadly aim of 
the mountaineers ; but toward nightfall the bridge of the Sill 
was carried after a desperate struggle, and their left flank be- 
ing thus turned, the French and Bavarians gave way on all 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 355 


sides, and were pursued with great slaughter into the city. 
They lost six thousand men, of whom seventeen hundred 
wounded fell into the hands of the Tyrolese, while on the side 
of the latter not more than nine hundred had fallen. Le- 
febvre had to retreat hastily toward Salzburg, where his whole 
army was collected on the 20th. 

This great victory was immediately followed by the libera- 
tion of the whole Tyrol; and when, on the morning of the 
15th of August, the sun rose over Innspruck, Andreas Hofer 
and his victorious host stood on Mount Isel, gazing with pro- 
found emotion on the reeking, gory battle-field, on which, 
two days ago, war had raged with all its horrors, and on the 
city of Innspruck, whose smoking and burning houses beto- 
kened the last outburst of the rage of the fugitive French mar- 
shal.* 

“ See how much blood it has cost, and how many wrongs 
had to be committed, that we might obtain our rights ! ” 
sighed Andreas Hofer, pointing to the battle-field. “ My heart 
overflows with pity on seeing these horrors, and I implore 
you all to be merciful with the wounded and to treat the pris- 
oners leniently. Among these prisoners are about one thou- 
sand Bavarians and Saxons. See, they are standing down 
yonder in dense groups, and our men surround them, mock- 
ing and abusing them. Go down to them, dear Secretary 
Doninger ; tell them to be merciful and compassionate, and 
to bear always in mind that the prisoners are no longer their 
enemies, but their German brethren ; that they are Saxons 
and Bavarians, speak one and the same language with us, and 
are our countrymen. Repeat this to our men, Doninger, and 
say to them in my name, ‘ Do not injure the prisoners ; they 
are Saxons and Bavarians, and good and brave men ! ’ ” f 

“ They are not exactly good men,” said Speckbacher, who 
was standing on the right side of Andreas Hofer ; “ no, they 
are not exactly good men, Andy ; otherwise they would not 
have fought against us, who are assuredly good men and have 
done nothing but defend our dear country.” 

Instead of replying to him, Andreas Hofer turned smil- 

* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 126. 
t Andreas Hofer’s own words. — Ibid., p. 125. 


356 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ingly to the Capuchin, who was standing on his left side. 
“ Brother Joachim,” he said gently, “ you ought to exhort our 
Joseph here a little, that he may comply with the Redeemer’s 
precept and forgive his enemies. He is a very good, but very 
stubborn fellow ; a brave and excellent soldier, but it would 
do him no harm if he were a better Christian.” 

“ If we had been good Christians latterly we should never 
have defeated the enemy,” growled the Capuchin, shaking his 
head. “ If we were good Christians, we should have to love our 
enemies, do good to them that hate us, and pray for those who 
despitefully use us and persecute us. So long as we are sol- 
diers, Andy, we cannot be good Christians ; and I thank God 
for it that we fought like downright brave heathens. But 
after the enemy has been expelled from the country, and peace 
prevails again everywhere, and I have returned to my tedious 
convent at Seeben, I will become again a pious Capuchin, and 
exhort our dear brave Joseph Speckbacher to become as good 
a Christian as our Andreas Hofer.” 

“No, no, brother Joachim, we will not wait until then to 
show to the world that we are good Christians,” exclaimed 
Andreas. “ God stood by us in the battle of Mount Isel and 
made us victorious over our enemies. Let us thank Him, 
therefore, for His surpassing goodness and mercy ; let us pray 
Him to bless our victory and grant a glorious resurrection to 
those who had to sacrifice their lives for it. ” 

He drew his large rosary from his bosom, and, lifting his 
eyes devoutly to heaven, sank down on his knees. 

“ Yes, let us pray God to bless our victory,” said Father 
Haspinger, bending his knees like Andreas Hofer ; and Joseph 
Speckbacher followed his example. 

And the pious Tyrolese, seeing their leaders kneeling on the 
height above, were filled with devout emotion ; they knelt 
likewise ; their cheers and Jodlers , their shouts and laughter 
died away ; only prayers were heard from their lips, and, as 
an accompaniment to them, the melodious peals of the hells, 
with which the people of Innspruck were celebrating the de- 
parture of the French marshals, and the approach of the de- 
fenders of the country. 

At this moment the sun burst forth from the clouds, and 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 357 


shed a radiant lustre on this whole sublime scene — the three 
kneeling heroes on the height above, and all around the Tyro- 
lese, clad in their picturesque national costume, kneeling and 
thanking God, with tears in their eyes, for the victory He had 
vouchsafed to them. 

The Bavarian and Saxon prisoners, carried away by this 
spectacle, knelt down like the Tyrolese, and prayed to God, 
like their enemies— not thanking Him, as the latter did, for 
the victory, but for having made them prisoners, of good and 
pious victors.* 

All at once this pious scene was interrupted by loud cheers, 
shouts, and Jodlers, and a long, imposing procession of sing- 
ing, jubilant men ascended the mountain. The new-comers 
were the students of Innspruck, who came to congratulate 
Andreas Hofer on his brilliant victory, and accompany him 
on his triumphal entry into the city. Many persons followed 
them, and all shouted exultingly, “ Where is Andreas Hofer, 
the savior of the country ? Where is Andreas Hofer, the lib- 
erator ? ” 

The band heading the procession of the students, struck up 
a ringing flourish on beholding Andreas, who had risen from 
his knees at their approach. But he raised his arm impera- 
tively ; the band ceased playing immediately, and the cheers 
died away on the lips of the students, who bowed respectfully 
to the tall, imposing form of the Barbone. 

“ Hush, hush,” said Andreas, gravely ; “ pray ! No cheers, 
no music ! Neither I nor any of us did it ; all the glory is 
due to Him above ! ” t 

“ But you helped the good God a little,” said the speaker of 
the students, “ and therefore you must submit to accept the 
thanks of the whole Tyrol, and to being called the savior and 
liberator of the country. We come to you as messengers of 
the capital of the Tyrol, and are instructed to request you to 
tarry no longer, but make your triumphal entry into the 
city.” 

“ Yes, I will come,” exclaimed Andreas, joyfully ; “ what I 
implored of the Lord as the highest boon has been realized 

* Mayer’s “ Joseph Speckbacher,” p. 196. 
t Andreas Hofer’s own words.— Ibid., p. 197. 


358 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


now : we shall make our triumphal entry into the city, where 
the mean enemy behaved so shamefully. Return to Inn- 
spruck, my friends, and say to the inhabitants that we shall be 
in the city in the course of an hour — old Red-beard, Speck- 
bacher, and I — and that we shall be glad to meet all our ex- 
cellent friends there again.” 

And an hour afterward Andreas Hofer and his friends 
made their entry into Innspruck. He sat in a gorgeous car- 
riage, drawn by four splendid white horses, which he himself 
had taken from a French colonel during his flight across the 
Brenner. By the side of the Sandwirth sat Joachim Haspin- 
ger, the Capuchin, and beside the carriage rode Joseph SpecK- 
bacher, with a radiant face, and his dark, fiery eyes beaming 
with triumphant joy ; he was mounted on the proud magnifi- 
cently-caparisoned charger that had borne the haughty Duke 
of Dantsic two days ago. 

The carriage was preceded by a crowd of rejoicing peasants, 
and a band of fifers and fiddlers ; carpets and banners hung 
from all the windows and balconies ; ladies in beautiful attire 
greeted the conquering hero with waving handkerchiefs ; and 
the people in the streets, the ladies on the balconies, and the 
boys on the roofs and in the trees, shouted enthusiastically, 
“ Long live Andreas Hofer ! Long live the commander- in- 
chief of the Tyrol ! ” And the bells pealed, the cannon posted 
on the market-place thundered, and the fifers and fiddlers 
made as much noise as possible. 

“ Listen, brother Haspinger,” said Andreas Hofer, turning 
to the Capuchin, while the carriage was moving on slowly, “ I 
should really dislike to enter the city always amid such fuss 
and noise ; and I believe it is heavy work for princes always 
to look well pleased and cheerful when they are so much 
molested by the enthusiasm of the people. I looked forward 
with a great deal of joy to the day when we should make our 
entry into the city, and I thought it would be much more 
beautiful ; but now I am greatly tired of the whole thing ; I 
should be glad if they would cease fiddling, and clear a pas- 
sage for the carriage to move on more rapidly. I am hungry, 
and I would I were already at the tavern of my dear friend 
Niederkircher. ” 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 359 


“ Well, you must learn to put on a pleasant face when the 
people cheer you,” said Haspinger, laughing. “ You have 
now become a prince too, and I think your people will love 
you dearly.” 

“ What nonsense is that, brother ? ” asked Hofer, angrily. 

“ Tt is no nonsense at all, Andy ; on the contrary, it is quite 
true. Just listen to their acclamations.” 

“ Long live Andreas Hofer ! ” shouted the crowd, which 
was dancing and singing around the carriage. “ Long live 
the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol ! ” 

“ They call me commander-in-chief of the Tyrol,” said An- 
dreas, musingly. “ Tell me, Joachim, is it necessary for me to 
assume that title ? ” 

“Yes, it is. There must be a head of the state, a man to 
whom the people may look up as its star, and to whom it may 
apply as its comfort, support, and judge. And as the people 
have confidence in you and love you, you must be the man to 
hold the whole together, lest it should fall asunder. You 
shall be the head, and we others will be your hands and 
thoughts, and will work and fight, and think for you and the 
Tyrol. We must have a leader, a commander-in-chief of the 
Tyrol, and you are the man, Andy.” 

“ If you say so, it must be so,” said Andreas, nodding his 
head gently. “ Well, then, I shall be commander-in-chief of 
the Tyrol until order and peace are restored, and until the 
enemy has been expelled from the country for evermore. But 
see, we have arrived in front of Niederkircher’s tavern, and 
there is Niederkircher himself with his dear round face. God 
bless you, Niederkircher, why do you look at me so solemnly, 
and why have you dressed up so nicely ? Why, you wear 
your holiday clothes, and yet I think this is neither Sunday 
nor a holiday.” 

“ It is a great holiday,” exclaimed Niederkircher, “ the com- 
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the great Andreas Hofer, is 
making his triumphal entry into the city. That is why I have 
put on my Sunday clothes and look so solemn ; for it would 
not be becoming for me to embrace the distinguished com- 
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol, as I should like to do under 
other circumstances.” 


360 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“You are a fool, old fellow !” said Andreas, encircling his 
friend’s neck with his arm ; “ if I am commander-in-chief be- 
fore the world, I am, before my friends, always Andreas Hofer, 
the Sandwirth and humble peasant. Let us go into the house, 
my dear friend ; and you Joachim, come with us. There ! 
Take me to the small back room which I always occupy dur- 
ing my stay in the city.” 

“ God forbid ! ” exclaimed the innkeeper ; “ you never 
must occupy the hack room again ; that would not he be- 
coming for the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol. You must 
take my best room with the balcony opening on the street ; 
besides, all is there in readiness for your reception.” 

“ Must I take it, Joachim ? ” said Andreas to the Capuchin, 
almost anxiously. 

“ Yes, Andy, you must,” replied the friar. “ You must do 
honor to your new dignity, and to us all.” 

“It is a pity that I must do so,” sighed Andreas. “I was 
so glad that I should soon be in the old hack room, where it is 
so cozy and quiet, and where you do not hear any thing of the 
noise and shouting outside. But, if it cannot he helped, let us 
go to the best room ; but pray, if it is possible, give us some- 
thing to eat there. Some sound dumplings and a glass of na- 
tive wine, friend Niederkircher.” 

“No, no, Andreas Hofer, that will not do to-day,” replied 
the innkeeper ; “ I have had all my servants at work in the 
kitchen ever since sunrise, and you will have a dinner suitable 
for the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.” 

“ I should have preferred dumplings and native wine in the 
small back room,” said Andreas Hofer, dolefully, while he as- 
cended with the innkeeper and the Capuchin to the best room 
on the first floor. 

This was a very fine room indeed, and even though it was 
not as cozy as the back room for which Hofer had longed, it 
was at all events very agreeable to him to be once more under 
a hospitable roof, and enjoy a little rest and tranquillity. In 
the middle of the room stood a table handsomely festooned 
with flowers, and covered with bottles of wine, cake, and all 
sorts of fruit. 

“ Now, my distinguished friends, make yourselves as com- 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 361 

fortable as possible,” said Niederkircber, cheerfully ; “lie 
down awhile on the silken divan and repose. Meanwhile I 
w T ill go to the kitchen and order dinner to be served to the 
commander-in-chief and his two generals, Haspinger and 
Speckbacher.” 

“ I shall comply with your request,” growled the Capuchin, 
“and make myself as comfortable as possible.” 

He hurled his heavy, dusty leathern shoes quickly from 
his feet into a corner of the room ; he then lay down on the 
carpet in front of the divan, and stretching his limbs, ex- 
claimed, “ Forsooth, I have not been able for a long while to 
make myself as comfortable as to-day ! ” 

“But you, commander-in-chief,” said Niederkircher, be- 
seechingly, “ I hope, will not disdain my divan ? Rest there 
a little, Andy, until the waiters bring you your dinner.” 

“ God forbid ! I must first attend to my horses,” exclaimed 
Andreas. “ I suppose, Niederkircher. you saw my four splen- 
did white horses ? They are honest war-spoils ; I will keep 
them forever and never sell them, although I could get a 
round sum for them, for they are fine animals ; only the first 
horse on the right-hand side, I believe, is a little weak in the 
chest, and ought not to be overworked. Before going to din- 
ner and making myself comfortable, I must go and feed the 
horses and see if they are comfortable. You know, Nieder- 
kircher, I have always fed my horses myself, and will do so 
to-day also.” 

And he hastened toward 1 the door ; but Niederkircher ran 
after him and kept him back. 

“ For God’s sake, Hofer,” he cried in dismay, “ what are 
you going to do ? Why, you are not a horse-trader nor the 
Sandwirth to-day, but commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.” 

“ It is true, I forgot it,” sighed Andreas. “ Go, then, dear 
friend, get us our dinner, and have a large bundle of hay put 
into the manger of the horses. — But, great God ! what dread- 
ful noise is that in the street ? Why, those men are shouting 
so loudly that the walls are shaking and the windows rattling ! 
What do they want ? Why do they always repeat my name ? 
Look out, Niederkircher, and see what is the matter.” 

Niederkircher hastened to the window and drew the cur- 


362 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


tain aside in order to look out into the street. A dense crowd 
was assembled in front of the tavern ; it was incessantly 
cheering and shouting : “ Andreas Hofer ! Come out ! Long 
live the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the liberator ! We 
want to see him, we must thank him for delivering us from 
the enemy. Andreas Hofer ! Andreas Hofer ! ” 

“ You cannot get around it, Andy ; you must step out on 
the balcony,” said Niederkircher, stepping back from the win- 
dow. “The people are perfectly beside themselves with love 
and enthusiasm, and will not keep quiet until you come out 
and make a speech to them. Do, my friend, step out on the 
balcony ! ” 

“ Must I do it ? ” asked Andreas, dolefully, turning to the 
Capuchin, who was stretching himself comfortably on the 
carpet. 

“ You must, brother,” said Haspinger, gravely. “ The peo- 
ple wish to see their beloved leader, and it would be ungrate- 
ful not to accept their love.” 

Andreas Hofer sighed, but he yielded and approached the 
balcony, the doors of which were thrown open by the inn- 
keeper. 

No sooner had the thousands assembled in front of the 
house beheld the tall form of their favorite leader, than thun- 
dering cheers rent the air ; all waved their hats and shouted, 
“ Long live Andreas Hofer ! Long live the commander-in- 
chief of the Tyrol ! ” 

And now a feeling of profound emotion overcame the ten- 
der, grateful heart of Andreas Hofer ; joy and ecstasy filled 
his soul in the face of so much love and enthusiasm, and tears 
of the most unalloyed bliss glistened in his eyes, which greeted 
the jubilant people with tender, loving glances. He was 
anxious to thank these kind people and give utterance to his 
love ; and he lifted up his arm, asking them to be quiet that 
he might address them. 

The cheers and acclamations ceased immediately, and 
Hofer spoke amidst the breathless silence of the crowd in a 
loud, ringing voice : 

“ God bless you, dear people of Innspruck ! As you 
wanted me to become your commander-in-chief, I am now in 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 363 


your midst. But there are many other Tyrolese who are not 
inhabitants of Innspruck. All who wish to be my comrades 
must fight as brave and honest Tyrolese for God, the emperor, 
and our fatherland. Those who are unwilling to do so must 
go back to their homes. Those who wish to become my com- 
rades must never desert me. I shall not desert you either, 
as sure as my name is Andreas Hofer ! You have seen me 
now, and heard what I had to say to you ; therefore good- 
Uy t ” * 

When Hofer had concluded his speech, thundering cheers 
rent again the air ; they continued even after he had left the 
balcony, closed the door after him, and stepped back into the 
room. 

“ That was a very fine speech, Andy,” said Niederkircher, 
shaking hands with him, and gazing tenderly into his flushed 
fac$. “ It was evident that your words were not learned by 
rote, but came from your heart, and hence they could not but 
make a profound impression. But now, commander-in-chief 
of the Tyrol, dinner is ready. The soup is already on the 
table, and I myself shall have the honor of waiting on you.” 

“ But Speckbacher is not yet here,” said Andreas Hofer, 
“ and we cannot dine without him. We fought and worked 
together ; now we will also rest and attend to our comforts 
together. Do you not think so too, brother Red-beard ? ” 

But the Capuchin made no reply, or rather he responded 
only by a loud and long snore. 

“ By the Holy Virgin ! Haspinger has fallen asleep on the 
floor yonder,” exclaimed Andreas, smiling. 

“ Let us waken him, then,” said Niederkircher, turning to 
the sleeper. 

“ No, my friend, no, we will not do so,” whispered Andreas, 
drawing him back. “ Our faithful and brave brother Red- 
beard has been so long awake and at work that we must let 
him rest, and it would be very wrong in us to arouse him 
from his sleep. Let us defer dinner, therefore, until Speck- 
bacher is here, and until Haspinger has slept enough.” 

“ But you said you were hungry, Andreas. Why do you 
want to wait, then ? Why do you not dine now and let the 

* Hofer’s own words.— See “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 126. 

24 


364 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


other two dine afterward ? You are commander-in-chief, the 
highest officer of all, and they must do as it suits you, and you 
must not do as it suits them.” 

“ Do not repeat such nonsense,” cried Andreas, vehemently. 
“ I am commander-in-chief only because it is necessary that 
there should be one to hold the whole together lest it should 
fall asunder. That is what Father Haspinger said, and it is 
true. But even though I am commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, 
I am not commander-in-chief of my friends in my intimate in- 
tercourse with them. All three of us have worked to the best 
of our power for the fatherland, and I have not done more 
than Speckbacher or the Capuchin. It is true, I am hungry, 
but I shall not go to dinner without my friends ; moreover, it 
is good that they are not here yet, and that I have a little time 
left. The cravings of my stomach made me almost forget 
my duty to God, and by the absence of my friends He reminds 
me that I owe Him something and must come to Him. Keep 
your fine soup, therefore, a little while, Niederkircher ; I will, 
in the mean time, go to the church of the Franciscans to re- 
port there to the Lord as His faithful servant and soldier.” 

He took his black Tyrolese hat, descended hastily the stair- 
case, and went into the street. He had not noticed the dissat- 
isfied air of Niederkircher, and the fact that the innkeeper had 
not even thanked him for his greeting ; for all his thoughts 
were now fixed upon God, and he reproached himself con- 
tritely with almost forgetting God, owing to the cravings of 
his stomach. 

“ Forgive me, my Lord and God,” he murmured, on en- 
tering the gloomy nave of the church, “ for not coming to 
Thee at once ! ” 

He walked up the aisle with a noiseless, hurried step, in 
order not to disturb the worshippers, to one of the small altars, 
before which he knelt down devoutly. 

u Here I am, my Lord and God,” he murmured, clasping 
his hands, “ to render homage to Thee and thank Thee for de- 
livering us from the enemy and granting victory to us. I 
thank Thee for it from the bottom of my heart, for Thy mercy 
was with us, and Thou didst lead us as a true general. Guide 
us henceforth likewise, ray Lord and God, and stand by Thy 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 365 


faithful servant, that he may not fail in the difficult task which 
he has now taken upon himself. Lord, Thou knowest that 
vanity and pride do not prompt me to become more than I 
ought to be ; Thou knowest that I would rather be quietly at 
home with my wife and children, than play the distinguished 
gentleman here and assume an aristocratic title. But the 
Capuchin, who is wiser than I, says it must be so, and I must 
be commander-in-chief. Hence, I submit patiently, and con- 
sent to play the ruler here until Thou, my Lord and God, al- 
lowest me again to be Thy humble and simple servant, and to 
return to my beloved Anna Gertrude, my three little daugh- 
ters, and my dear little boy. O Holy Virgin, watch with ma- 
ternal care over my dear ones at home ; protect them, and 
grant peace to their hearts, that they may not trem ole for my 
safety. Grant peace to us all, Holy Mother of God, and — ” 

“ Look, look, there he is ! ” shouted a loud voice behind 
him, interrupting him in his prayer. “ See, there is the great 
hero ! How humbly he is kneeling before the altar ! Look 
at Andreas Hofer.” 

Andreas Hofer turned, indignant at the interruption and 
the words so loudly uttered in that sacred place. He saw sev- 
eral hundred persons thronging the aisle and fixing their eyes 
upon him. All crowded forward and raised their heads to see 
Andreas Hofer, admire his fine beard, and examine his whole 
appearance. They had followed him quietly, and as the news 
that Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, had 
gone to the church of the Franciscans, spread rapidly, all had 
hastened thither to see him and render him homage. 

But Andreas Hofer thought this homage decidedly irk- 
some, and he was angry that the spectators had disturbed 
his prayer. He, therefore, made a bitter-sweet face in re- 
sponse to the enthusiastic demonstrations and affectionate 
greetings of the people, and elbowed his way hastily toward 
the door. 

“ I thank you for your attachment,” he said to those who 
were close to him, “ but I should have been better pleased if 
you had allowed me quietly to pursue my way, and had not 
interrupted my prayer. But now pray let me go home alone, 
and do not follow me. It may be becoming for aristocratic 


366 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


gentlemen to have a large suite behind them, but I am only a 
simple Tyrolese like you all, and do not want to be any thing 
else. Moreover, I am a very ordinary-looking man, and 
there is no reason whatever why you should stare at me in 
this manner. Pray, therefore, do not go with me, but let 
me return quietly to Niederkircher’s tavern, where I am going 
to dine.” 

They obeyed, of course, and opened a passage for him to 
step out of the church door. But thereupon they rushed out 
to look after him and shout, “ Long live Andreas Hofer, the 
pious commander-in-chief of the Tyrol ! ” But no one ven- 
tured to follow him ; all gazed affectionately and reverentially 
after his tall form, as he walked with a slow and dignified step 
down the street. 

“ There are strange people in these cities,” murmured Hofer 
to himself, while walking along ; “ they do not even let me 
pray quietly, and are as curious as swallows. They follow 
me everywhere, and stare at me as though I were a wild beast. 
If that is being a famous man, I do not care for fame ; and 
for the whole world I would not be an aristocratic or famous 
man all my lifetime. When peace has been restored to the 
country, and there is no longer an enemy to fight, they will 
forget my humble services, and I shall live again quietly at 
my inn in the Passeyr valley. No one will then run after 
the Sandwirth when he comes to Innspruck to sell horses ; 
and I shall sit again in Niederkircher’s back room, eat dump- 
lings. and drink native wine. Ah, Holy Virgin, let it soon be 
so again, that the commander-in-chief may be again Sand- 
wirth Andreas Hofer.” 

“ Hurrah, long live the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol ! ” 
shouted at this moment some men who had recognized him, 
and stood still to do homage to him as though he were a sov- 
ereign prince. 

Andreas Hofer accelerated his step, and was very glad on 
reaching the tavern soon afterward. 


ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 367 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 

ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 

Andreas ascended the staircase hastily, and entered the 
balcony-room. 

The Capuchin had now risen from the carpet ; Joseph 
Speckbacher was with him, and both hastened to meet Andreas 
Hofer. 

“ You have kept us waiting a long while, brother,” said the 
Capuchin, indignantly ; “ you ought to have borne in mind that 
we have not eaten any thing, and are, therefore, very hungry.” 

“Yes, Father Andy,” exclaimed Speckbacher, smiling, 
“ you hung our bread-basket very high ; we are quite weak 
from waiting and hunger.” 

“ Now they blame me for keeping them waiting,” said An- 
dreas mildly. “And yet I think they kept me waiting, and 
hunger drove me to the church. Well, never mind, my dear 
friends and comrades ; we are together now, and I am very 
glad of it. Look at Niederkircher and his large dish ! How 
splendidly it smokes and smells, and how good it will be to 
eat ! Well, Niederkircher, put the dish on the table here, and 
sit down and dine with us.” 

“ No, no, commander-in-chief, it is my duty to-day to wait 
on you, for you are now a highly distinguished gentleman, 
and so are the other two ; hence, it would not behoove me to 
dine with you.” 

“ If you refuse to do so, I shall not eat at all,” cried An- 
dreas Hofer. 

“ And I shall run away,” said Speckbacher, jumping up 
from his chair. 

“I shall sit still,” growled the Capuchin, “but I shall 
henceforth turn my back upon Neiderkircher if he allows our 
soup to become cold instead of sitting down at once and din- 
ing with us.” 

“ I will do so,” cried Niederkircher, moving a chair to the 
table, and seating himself on it. “ But now my friends, per- 
mit me at least to fill your plates.” 


368 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“We will not object to that ! ” exclaimed the three friends, 
laughing ; “and pray fill them well, Niederkircher.” 

There was a long pause now ; nothing was heard but the 
rattling of the spoons on the plates. All at once this com- 
fortable silence was broken by deafening cheers and shouts 
uttered on the street. 

Hofer dropped his spoon, frowned, and listened. “ I believe 
they are calling me again,” he sighed, dolefully. 

He was not mistaken. Hundreds of youthful voices were 
heard shouting Andreas Hofer’s name, and their cheers were 
followed by a loud, ringing flourish of violins, fifes, bugles, 
and trumpets. 

“ They have musicians with them,” exclaimed Hofer, anx- 
iously. “ Holy Virgin, just listen how they are roaring ! It 
seems as if they were intent on upsetting the house.” 

“ They are calling you, they want to see you,” said Nieder- 
kircher, who had stepped to the window. “They are the 
students of the university ; they have come in their holiday 
attire to serenade you.” 

“ And why do they want to serenade me ? ” asked An- 
dreas Hofer, almost indignantly. “Why not Speckbach- 
er, or the Capuchin, or Peter Mayer, or Anthony Wall- 
ner ? They all did just as much as I did, and perhaps even 
more.” 

“ But you are the people’s favorite, brother,” said the Cap- 
uchin, smiling ; “ the people believe in you, and it would be 
cruel and short-sighted in us to shake their faith in you. 
Every thing must come from you ; you must have done and 
accomplished every thing.” 

“ And what we others did, we did only in your name, Fa- 
ther Andy ! ” exclaimed Speckbacher ; “ the people and the 
sharpshooters would not have obeyed us so well, had they not 
believed that you had issued all the orders and instructions 
which we gave them. On hearing your name they obeyed, 
fough* well, and were confident that we should succeed. And 
for this reason they are justified in coupling your name with 
the celebration of the victory. Just listen how they are 
shouting your name ! It is true, the dear boys have tremen- 
dous lungs, and if you do not comply with their wishes, and 


ANDREAS IIOFER, THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 369 

show yourself on the balcony, I am afraid they will make us 
deaf and themselves quite hoarse.” 

“Well, I do not care,” sighed Andreas ; “open the door 
again, Niederkircher, I must step out on the balcony.” 

“ And make another fine speech as before,” said the inn- 
keeper, throwing open the folding-doors. 

Andreas made no reply, hut went to the balcony with a 
grave and almost angry face. Deafening cheers greeted him, 
and the dense crowd assembled in the street shouted : 11 Long 
live Andreas Hofer, the commander-in-chief ! Long live An- 
dreas Hofer, the liberator ! ” 

“My brave son, Joseph Speckbacher,” said the Capuchin, 
filling his glass, “ you see every one gets his due in the end. 
Day before yesterday, while we were fighting in the sweat of 
our brows on Mount Isel, my dear brother Andreas Hofer sat 
up at his friend Etschmann’s tavern. A bottle of w T ine stood 
before him, and his rosary lay on the table ; and while we 
were fighting, he prayed and drank, and sent us from time to 
time his orders, which sounded like oracles, which no one 
understood, and which every one interpreted as he deemed 
prudent. Now he must toil in his turn and fight with 
his tongue, while we are sitting here snugly and drink- 
ing our wine. There is another flourish outside ! Trara ! 
trara ! ” 

And the Capuchin waved his glass and emptied it at one 
draught. 

Suddenly the crowd in the street became silent ; a student 
came forward and advanced several steps toward the bal- 
cony. 

“ Andreas Hofer, beloved commander-in-chief of the Tyr- 
ol,” he said, in a loud, solemn voice, “ our hearts are full of 
love for you and praise of your heroic deeds, and our lips, too, 
would like to overflow. Permit us, therefore, noble hero, be- 
loved liberator, to sing before you a song glorifying your ex- 
ploits ; a song praising your struggles and victories ; a song 
which will henceforth be sung by every man, woman, and 
child, throughout the Tyrol. We students wrote the song, 
for your heroic deeds filled our hearts with enthusiasm, and 
our attachment to you taught us the finest music for it. Per- 


370 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


mit us, therefore, to sing before you the song of the victorious 
hero Andreas Hofer.” 

“ No, no, my dear friends, do not sing,” exclaimed Hofer, 
gravely and almost angrily. “ Do not sing, and do not play 
any longer on your fifes and violins. We did not take the 
field to sing and dance, and I did not leave my wife and chil- 
dren at home with a light heart, but with tears and anxiety. 
But I did it because it was the Lord’s will ; and as He accom- 
panied me into battle we succeeded in defeating the enemy. 
But it was a hard and mournful task ; many brave and excel- 
lent men lost their limbs or even their lives, and many wounded 
patriots are yet imploring God to relieve them of their terrible 
agony. And while they are groaning and wailing, can you 
wish to sing ? While so many fathers and mothers are la- 
menting their fallen sons, can you wish to exult here and 
make music ? No, my dear friends, that would not be becom- 
ing for a Christian and charitable people. You had better lay 
your violins aside and take up your rosaries. Do not sing, 
but pray. Pray aloud and fervently for our beloved emperor, 
and, if you like, you may add a low prayer for poor Andreas 
Hofer. But you shall not sing any songs in his honor, for 
God alone accomplished it all, and homage should be rendered 
to none but Him. Therefore, do not sing, but pray. Pray in 
my name, too, for I have not much time now, and cannot pray 
as much as I should like to do. Say to the good God that 
we toiled honestly and bravely ; say to Him that we suffered 
privations, watched, fought, and conquered, for the father- 
land ; and pray to Him for the brave men who accompanied 
us to the holy struggle, and who will never return, but have 
succumbed to their mortal wounds. Do not sing, but pray 
for their poor souls. Play your merry melodies no longer, 
but go home quietly and pray God to protect us henceforth as 
He has heretofore. That is what I wish to tell you, my dear 
friends. And now God bless you, and accept my heart-felt 
thanks for your love and attachment.” * 

The students, seized with profound emotion, and deeply 
impressed by the simple yet soul-stirring words of Andreas 
Hofer, complied quietly and willingly with his request. Their 
* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 180 . 


ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 371 


fifes, violins, and bugles became silent, and the crowd dis- 
persed noiselessly, without uttering any more cheers and ac- 
clamations. 

“ They are fine, dear lads,” said Andreas Hofer, looking 
after them with beaming eyes ; “ strong and hearty lads, full 
of spirits and impetuosity, but on the other hand so gentle and 
submissive ! — Well, now,” he exclaimed joyfully, stepping 
back into the room, “ I hope we shall have some rest, and 
shall be able to finish our dinner in peace.” 

This hope, however, was not to be fulfilled. The dinner 
was not yet over by any means, when cheers and loud noise 
resounded once more in the street, and another solemn pro- 
cession approached the tavern. This time, however, the 
members of the procession did not remain in the street, but 
entered the house, and the landlord, who had just gone down- 
stairs to fetch some more bottles of wine from the cellar, has- 
tened back to the balcony-room and announced that all the 
commanders of the Landsturm and the municipal officers 
had arrived to pay their respects to the commander-in-chief of 
the Tyrol and communicate a request to him. 

‘‘Well, then,” sighed Hofer. rising, “let them come in 
here. I see that our dinner is spoiled anyhow. Let them 
come in here, Niederkircher.” 

“ God forbid ! there are so many of them that they would 
not have room here ; besides, it would not be becoming for 
you to receive all these gentlemen here where there is a din- 
ner-table. I have conducted them all to the large ballroom ; 
they await you there, Andreas Hofer.” 

“ I would I knew what they want of me,” sighed Hofer, 
stroking his long beard. 

“ I know what they want, Father Andy,” said Speckbacher, 
smiling. “I myself suggested to the commanders of the 
Landsturm the plan of asking of you what they are going to 
communicate to you now. And you must not refuse to com- 
ply with their request, Father Andy ; for the good of the 
country demands that you should yield, and the emperor 
himself will thank you for so doing.” 

“I know likewise what these gentlemen want of you, 
brother Andy,” exclaimed the Capuchin, filling his glass. “ I 


372 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


was yesterday already in Innspruck, where 1 conferred with 
the mayor and the members of the city council, and they will 
tell you now what we resolved then. You must not resist, 
brother ; you must, on the contrary, comply with their re- 
quest ; for it is God’s will that you should, and therefore you 
must. Now go to the ballroom, dear Andy.” 

“ I shall not, unless you two accompany me thither,” an- 
swered Andreas Hofer, emphatically. “ They will finally be- 
lieve I wish to monopolize all honors, and will charge me with 
forgetting that Haspinger and Speckbacher, day before yester- 
day, did a great deal more than myself at the battle of Mount 
Isel, and that we should never have gained a victory there 
without them. Therefore, you must walk side by side with 
me, one on my right, the other on my left hand ; and we will 
enter the ballroom just as we fought in battle.” 

On entering the ballroom, where the commanders of the 
Landsturm in their uniforms and the officers of the munici- 
pality had ranged themselves along the walls, the three heroes 
were received with three deafening cheers ; and this time An- 
dreas Hofer was not bold enough to tell the enthusiastic gen- 
tlemen to be silent, but he looked quite respectfully at the 
mayor in his long black robe, who was approaching him with 
a grave step between two members of the city council. 

“We come,” he said, solemnly, “ not only to thank you for 
the heroic deeds which you have performed, but to pray you to 
do still more for us and the fatherland. You have delivered 
the country from the enemy, but there is lacking to it a head, 
a crown. The Bavarian government commission, and Count 
Bechberg, the king’s lieutenant, have escaped from Innspruck 
with the French forces. We are free from the Bavarian yoke ; 
we are no longer governed by the king’s lieutenant, and in his 
place we want a lieutenant of the emperor. There must be 
one in whose hands all power is concentrated, and who rules 
over the country in the emperor’s name. You must fill this 
position, Andreas Hofer. The authorities and the people of 
Innspruck elect you the emperor’s lieutenant. You shall 
govern the country in his name, and we will all swear to you 
obedience, fidelity, and love.” 

After he had concluded his address, Anthony Wallner 


ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 373 


stepped forth from the ranks of the commanders of the Land- 
sturm. “Yes,” he exclaimed, “you shall be the emperor’s 
lieutenant. We will all swear to you obedience, fidelity, and 
love. We commanders of the Landsturm wished to say this 
to our commander in-chief, and this was the reason why we 
came hither. We want to pray you to govern the Tyrol in 
the emperor’s name. Your consent would give us the greatest 
satisfaction.” 

“We want to pray you,” said one of the members of the 
city council, coming forward from the midst of his colleagues, 
“ to take up your residence as the emperor’s lieutenant in the 
imperial palace on the Remplatz.” 

“ That will never do,” cried Andreas Hofer, in dismay. 
“ How could I be so impudent as to reside in the palace of his 
majesty the emperor ? No, no, that will never do ; I cannot 
consent to it.” 

“ It will do very well, and you must consent to it,” said 
Haspinger, solemnly. “ You shall reside in the imperial pal- 
ace, not to gratify your own vanity, but to reassure the people, 
and show them that they are not entirely destitute of a ruler 
and protector. You shall govern the country for God and 
the emperor until all our enemies are worsted and the war is 
at an end. The emperor has not time at this juncture to take 
care of us ; he must devote his whole attention to the reorgan- 
ization of his army and prepare for the resumption of hostili- 
ties. The armistice expires at the end of this month, and 
war will then, of course, break out once more, for the 
French emperor will not keep quiet and submit before 
he is worsted and crushed entirely ; and we have still a 
great deal to do, a great deal to fight, and much more blood 
will have to be shed, before we have delivered the whole 
Southern Tyrol, Carinthia, and Carniola, from the yoke 
of the tyrant. In order to do so, Speckbacher, Wallner, 
and I, will lead the brave Tyrolese against the enemy. 
Now, if the country is to be governed properly while we 
are fighting, a man in whom both the people and the au- 
thorities have confidence must be at the head of the govern- 
ment. You are this man, Andreas Hofer. The people, the 
authorities, and the defenders of the country, pray you to 


374 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


consent to it ; but God commands you through my mouth 
to accept the position.” 

“Well, then,” exclaimed Andreas, enthusiastically, lifting 
his eyes devoutly to heaven, “ I will do joyfully what God 
commands, and what you request me to do. I will take upon 
myself this arduous duty ; I will comply with your wishes. 
You say it is necessary for the good of the country and the 
emperor that there should be a lieutenant of the emperor ; 
and if there is no other and better man than I, and if you 
have confidence in me, I will accept the position. I am noth- 
ing but an instrument in the hand of God my Lord, and I do 
what He wants me to do, even though it should cost my life. 
My life is in His hand, and what I am, and have, and can be, 
belongs to my emperor and my country. I will be, then, the 
emperor’s lieutenant in the Tyrol until the emperor issues or- 
ders to the contrary, or until peace is restored to the country, 
and the emperor is able again to take charge of the govern- 
ment. Let us pray God and the Holy Virgin that that day 
may soon dawn upon us ! ” 

“ Long live the emperor’s lieutenant ! ” shouted the whole 
assembly, joyously. 

“ Now,” exclaimed the mayor, “ give me your hand, An- 
dreas Hofer, lieutenant of the emperor, and commander-in- 
chief of the Tyrol. We will conduct you in solemn proces- 
sion to the imperial palace, for the lieutenant must take up his 
residence there.” 

“ Yes, yes, let us accompany Andreas Hofer to the imperial 
palace,” exclaimed all, in joyful excitement. 

“Well, if it please God, I will take up my residence in the 
imperial palace,” exclaimed Andreas Hofer, solemnly, giving 
his hand to the mayor and stepping with him to the door of 
the ballroom. 

He was followed by the Capuchin, Joseph Speckbacher, 
Anthony Wallner. the other commanders of the Landsturm , 
and the municipal authorities. On stepping into the street, 
they were received with thundering cheers by the people who 
thronged the street and the neighboring place ; and amid 
singing and deafening acclamations, and the ringing of all 
the church-bells, the emperor’s lieutenant and commander-in- 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 375 


chief of the Tyrol, Andreas Hofer, was conducted to the mag- 
nificent imperial palace, where the Sandwirth was to take up 
his residence. 


CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 

While the people of Innspruck set no hounds to their re- 
joicings on the 15th of August, and accompanied Andreas Ho- 
fer, the emperor’s lieutenant, amid the most rapturous mani- 
festations of enthusiasm, to the imperial palace ; while the 
Emperor Napoleon was celebrating the 15th of August, his 
birthday, hy a great parade at Schonbrunn, and the bestowal 
of orders and rewards on many distinguished persons, the 
Emperor Francis was at the fortress of Comorn. Only a few 
of his faithful adherents had followed him thither ; only his 
servants and officers surrounded him at his mournful court 
there. The Empress Ludovica and the archduchesses had al- 
ready repaired to Totis, a country-seat of Prince Lichtenstein, 
in Hungary, whither the emperor intended to follow her in 
the course of a few days. 

“ I should set out this very day,” he said, pacing his cabinet, 
to his confidential agent Hudelist, the Aulic councillor, “but 
I should like to see previously Count Bubna, whom I have 
sent to Bonaparte.” 

“ I hope, your majesty, that the count will yet return to- 
day,” replied Hudelist, in his humble bland voice. 

“ God grant it ! ” sighed the emperor. “ It is very tedious 
here, and I hope our sojourn at Totis will not be so mournful 
and wearisome. Prince Lichtenstein told me there were ex- 
cellent fishing-ponds there, and he added that he had caused 
to he built a laboratory where I might manufacture sealing- 
wax. I think, Hudelist, we shall he very industrious there, 
and manufacture new and beautiful styles.” 

“I received to-day a new receipt for making carmine seal- 
ing-wax, perfumed d la rose,” said Hudelist, smiling. 

“ Ah, that is nice,” exclaimed the emperor ; “ give it to me 
— let me read it.” 


378 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


The Aulic councillor drew a paper from his bosom and 
handed it with a low bow to the emperor. Francis took it 
quickly, and fixed his eyes smilingly on it. 

His features, however, suddenly became very gloomy, 
and he threw the paper indignantly on the table. “ What 
do you give me this for ? ” he asked, angrily. “ In speaking 
of the receipt, I had forgotten the abominable political 
situation for a moment, but you must at once remind me 
of it.” 

“ My God ! ” faltered out Hudelist, “ what did I do, then, to 
excite your majesty’s indignation ? ” 

The emperor took the paper from the table and handed it 
to him. “ See,” he said, already half pacified, “ is that a receipt 
for making sealing-wax ? ” 

“ Good heavens ! ” groaned Hudelist, in dismay, “ I made a 
mistake. In place of the receipt, I handed to your majesty the 
draft of the proclamation to your subjects, which your ma- 
jesty ordered me to write. Oh, I humbly beg your majesty’s 
pardon for having made so lamentable a blunder ; I — ” 

“Well, never mind,” interrupted the emperor; “there is 
no harm done. You handed me one receipt, in place of an- 
other ; and it is true, the sealing-wax receipt may remain in 
your pocket until we arrive at Totis, but the other receipt is 
needed immediately, for it is destined to reduce the people to 
submissiveness and tranquillity. Well, read the proclama- 
tion you have drawn up.” 

“ Your majesty, I have carried out carefully the orders of 
your majesty, and the instructions of your minister, Count 
Metternich, and written only what your majesty had agreed 
upon with the minister.” 

“ Read it,” said the emperor, taking the fly-flap from the 
table ; and, while he was slowly gliding along the walls, and 
killing now and then a fly, Hudelist read as follows : 

“To my people and my army !— My beloved subjects, and 
even my enemies know that, in entering upon the present 
war, I was induced to take up arms neither by thirst for con- 
quest nor by mortified personal feelings. 

“ Self-preservation and independence, a peace which would 
be compatible with the honor of my crown, and which would 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 377 

give security and tranquillity to my people, were the lofty and 
only objects which I strove to attain. 

u The fickle fortunes of war have not fulfilled my expecta- 
tions ; the enemy penetrated into the heart of my states, and 
exposed them to the devastations of a war carried on with the 
most relentless exasperation and barbarity ; but, at the same 
time, he became acquainted with the patriotic spirit of my peo- 
ple and the bravery of my army. 

“ This experience, which he purchased after fearful blood- 
shed, and my unvarying solicitude for the happiness of my 
subjects, brought about mutual advances for peace negotia- 
tions. My plenipotentiaries met with those of the French 
emperor. 

“I am desirous of concluding an honorable peace, the 
terms of which offer the possibility and prospect of its dura- 
tion. The bravery of my army, its unwavering courage, its 
ardent patriotism, its emphatic wish not to lay down its arms 
prior to the conclusion of an honorable peace, prevent me from 
submitting to terms which would shake the foundations of 
the empire, and dishonor us after such great and generous 
sacrifices and so much bloodshed. 

“ The noble spirit animating the army is a sufficient guar- 
anty that, if the enemy should after all mistake our intentions 
and strength, we shall certainly obtain the reward of con- 
stancy in the end.”* 

“ There,” cried the emperor at this moment, striking with 
the fly-flap at the wall, “ that will at length put an end to your 
humming, with which you have dinned my ears for a quarter 
of an hour. Come here, Hudelist, and look at this bluebottle 
fly. The whole time while you were reading I was chasing it, 
and have only just got it. Did you ever see so large a fly ? ” 

“ It is a very large fly indeed,” said Hudelist, with a grin. 

“I do not believe that it is a bluebottle fly,” exclaimed the 
emperor. “ It is Bonaparte, who has transformed himself 
into a bluebottle fly, as Jove once transformed himself into an 
ox ; and he came hither to annoy me and din my ears until I 
am quite sick. Yes, yes, Hudelist, believe me, Bonaparte is a 
huge bluebottle fly, which drives all Europe mad. Ah, would 

* See Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. ii., p. 440. 


378 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


I could treat him as I treat this abominable bluebottle fly now, 
and crush him under my foot ! ” 

And the emperor crushed the writhing insect under his 
heel, 

“ Your majesty will surely enjoy one day the pleasure of 
crushing Bonaparte, the huge bluebottle fly, under your heel,” 
said Hudelist. “ Only your majesty must be gracious enough 
to have patience, and not now try to attain what you will 
surely accomplish at a later time. At this juncture Bonaparte 
is strong and superior to us ; but let us wait until there is a 
moment when he is weak ; your majesty will profit by this 
moment, and crush him.” 

“ See, see how kind you are ! ” exclaimed the emperor, with 
a sardonic smile ; “ you are so obliging as to give me advice 
which I did not ask for. I thank you, Mr. Aulic Councillor, 
but I believe it will be better for me to follow my own under- 
standing. As God Almighty has placed me at the head of 
Austria and made me emperor, He must confide in my ability 
to discharge the duties of my imperial office. Well, you need 
not look so dismayed ; I know that your intentions are good, 
and I confide in you.” 

“ Your majesty knows that I am ready to die for you, and 
that I should shed my blood for you unhesitatingly and joy- 
ously,” exclaimed Hudelist, enthusiastically. u It was, there- 
fore, only my intense love and veneration which made me 
venture to communicate my views freely and openly to your 
majesty ; but I shall never do so again, for I was unfortunate 
enough to displease your majesty thereby.” 

“ On the contrary, you shall always do so, you shall always 
tell me your opinion freely and openly,” cried the emperor, 
vehemently. “ You shall tell me all that you believe, all that 
you know, and all that you hear and learn from others. Your 
ears, eyes, and tongue, shall belong to me. ” 

“ And my heart, above all things, belongs to my adored em- 
peror, your majesty.” 

“ Have you really got a heart ? ” asked the emperor, smil- 
ing. “ I do not believe it, Hudelist ; you are a clever, saga- 
cious man, but you had better say nothing about your heart, for 
I think you have used it up in your countless love-affairs. 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 


379 


Moreover, I do not care for it. I do not think a great deal of 
men who have too much heart, and who always allow their 
rash heart to influence their actions. My distinguished 
brother, the Archduke John, for instance, has this fault and 
weakness ; his heart frequently runs away with his head, and 
his legs finally run after it.” 

“ But he is a very brave general,” said Hudelist, gently ; 
“ a courageous captain, and a most defiant and foolhardy ene- 
my of France. How unwavering were the courage and in- 
trepidity with which he met the Viceroy of Italy everywhere, 
and attacked him, even though he knew beforehand that he 
would be unable to worst the superior enemy ! How great 
was the magnanimity with which he risked all, and did not 
shrink from sacrificing the lives of thousands in attempting 
to carry out an insignificant coup against the enemy ! And 
how sublime was the heroism with which he has often dared 
to brave the orders of the commander-in-chief and pursue his 
own way, on finding that these orders were dangerous and 
pernicious to his army ! ” 

“Yes,” cried the emperor, bursting into scornful laughter, 
“ it was owing to this disobedience and stubbornness that we 
lost the battle of Wagram. If the Archduke John had been 
more obedient, and arrived with his troops in time, we should 
have gained the battle, I should not be in this miserable hole, 
and it would not be necessary for me to sue Bonaparte so 
humbly and contritely for generous terms of peace. The 
good heart of my distinguished brother subjected me to this 
unpleasant necessity, and I shall one day manifest to him my 
gratitude for it.” 

“ Oh, your majesty,” said Hudelist, in his blandest voice, 
“ if the archduke should have unwittingly committed a blun- 
der on this occasion, he has made a thousand amends for it. 
Your majesty should bear in mind all that the noble Arch- 
duke John accomplished in the Tyrol. Your majesty owes it 
only to the archduke that the Tyrol rose as one man, that it 
fought, and is fighting still, with the utmost heroism. He ar- 
ranged it all ; he organized a conspiracy in the Tyrol while 
the country was yet under the Bavarian yoke — a vast, gigantic 
conspiracy ; owing to his secret instigation, the revolution 
25 


380 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


broke out simultaneously in all parts of the Tyrol, and it is 
the name of the Archduke John which fills this people of 
heroes with the sublime courage which it displays in the most 
murderous battles.” 

“ It is bad enough that it is so,” exclaimed the emperor, 
striding uneasily up and down the room. “The Archduke 
John sowed the seeds of pernicious weeds, and played a very 
dangerous game.” 

“ It is true, it is dangerous to preach rebellion to a people, 
and teach it how to rise in insurrection,” said Hudelist, 
thoughtfully. “ And it cannot be denied that the insurrection 
of the Tyrolese sets a deplorable example in some respects. It 
is true, the archduke organized the conspiracy only for the 
good of Austria and her emperor ; but what the Tyrolese are 
doing to-day for the emperor, they might another time do 
against him ; and if the archduke were not so exceedingly 
loyal and entirely above suspicion, one might think he had 
stirred up the insurrection for his own purposes and benefit. 
At all events, it only depends on him to have himself pro- 
claimed King of the Tyrol, for his influence is all-powerful in 
that province.” 

The emperor uttered a cry of rage. His eyes shot fire, his 
lips quivered and muttered incoherent threats, his cheeks had 
turned livid, and he paced his room in indescribable agitation. 
Then, as if to give vent to the rage filling his breast, he took 
up the fly-flap and struck violently at the flies seated here and 
there on the wall. 

Hudelist followed his every motion with his cold, stealthy 
eyes, and an expression of scorn and malicious joy illumi- 
nated his sombre face for a moment. 

“It was effectual,” he murmured to himself ; “jealousy 
and suspicion have struck roots in his heart, and we shall suc- 
ceed in neutralizing the influence of the archduke, who con- 
stantly preaches war, and war at any cost.” 

Suddenly the emperor cast his fly-flap aside, and turned 
to Hudelist, whose face had quickly resumed its quiet, humble, 
and impenetrable expression. 

“ Hudelist,” said the emperor, in a low and mysterious tone, 
“ always tell me all you know about the archduke, and do not 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 381 

conceal any thing from me. I must know all, and count upon 
your sincerity and talent of observation.” 

“ Your majesty,” cried Hudelist, ardently, “ I swear that I 
will faithfully carry out the orders of my emperor. Not a 
word, not a step, not a manifestation of public opinion shall 
be concealed from your majesty ; for, as your majesty was 
gracious enough to observe, my ears, eyes, and tongue, belong 
to your majesty.” 

At this moment the door of the anteroom opened, and a 
footman announced Count Bubna. 

“ Let him come in,” said the emperor ; and he dismissed, 
with a quick wave of his hand, Hudelist, who, bowing respect- 
fully, and walking backward, left the emperor’s cabinet at the 
same moment that Count Bubna appeared on the threshold of 
the opposite door. 

The emperor hastened to meet him. “ Now speak, count ! ” 
he exclaimed, eagerly ; “ did you see Bonaparte ? Did he ad- 
mit you ? ” 

“Yes, your majesty,” said Count Bubna, with gloomy 
gravity, “ the Emperor Napoleon did admit me. I had a long 
interview with him.” 

The emperor nodded his head. “ Did he offer you terms of 
peace ? ” 

“ He did, but I cannot conceal from your majesty that the 
Emperor Napoleon will impose very harsh and oppressive 
conditions. He is exceedingly irritated, and the heroic resist- 
ance which our army offered to him, our brilliant victory at 
Aspern, and the fact that his victory at Wagram was after all 
little better than a drawn battle, seem to have exasperated him 
in the extreme. For this reason he is resolved to impose rig- 
orous terms of peace on us, because, if Austria should submit 
to them, she would thereby admit that the Etnperor of the 
French gained a great victory at Wagram.” 

“Well, I am glad that he is irritated,” said the emperor, 
shrugginghis shoulders ; “ so am I, and I shall not accept any 
peace which would impose humiliating terms on Austria. 
That is what I have promised this very day to my people in 
the proclamation lying on the table yonder ; and I owe it, 
moreover, to myself. Either an honorable peace, or a deci- 


382 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


sion by the fortune of war. If need be, I will call upon my 
whole people to take up arms ; I will place myself at the head 
of this grand army, and either defeat Bonaparte, or succumb 
honorably/’ 

“ Ah, if your people could see your majesty in your gener- 
ous excitement, with how much enthusiasm they would follow 
their emperor and expel the enemy !” exclaimed Count Bubna. 
“ And yet even the most intense enthusiasm mi^ht fail, for 
circumstances are more powerful than your majesty’s heroism. 
The Emperor Napoleon is determined to follow" up his success 
to its most extreme consequences, and we are at this juncture 
unable to cope with him in the long run. All the gaps in his 
army have been filled up, and his soldiers are flushed with 
victory, and eager to meet our own forces. Our army is 
greatly weakened, disorganized, and disheartened ; and, more- 
over, it has no commander-in-chief, inasmuch as your majesty 
has accepted the resignation of the generalissimo. To con- 
tinue the war would be equivalent to endangering the exist- 
ence of Austria and the imperial dynasty itself.” 

u Ah, you mean that Bonaparte would be pleased to say of 
my dynasty what he said of Naples and Spain : ‘ The Bourbons 
have ceased to reign ’ ? ” 

“ Your majesty, although the Emperor Napoleon did not 
dare to use such unmeasured language, he did not fail to hint 
at such an event. Having admitted me after repeated refusals 
and hearing my first words, ‘ My august master, the Emperor 
of Austria,’ the Emperor Napoleon interrupted me, and cried 
vehemently, ‘ There is no longer an Emperor of Austria, but 
only a Prince of Lorraine ! ’ ” 

Ah, indeed, he permits me at least to retain the title of a 
Prince of Lorraine ! And what else did he say ? Do not con- 
ceal any thing from me, Count Bubna, but bear in mind that 
I must know all, in order to take my resolutions accord- 
ingly.” 

“ Your majesty, if I did not bear this in mind, I should 
never venture to repeat what the Emperor Napoleon permitted 
himself to say to me. He seemed to speak quite unreservedly 
in my presence ; lying on the floor by the side of his maps, or 
sitting on the table and placing his feet on a chair, or stand- 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 


383 


ing before me with folded arms, he spoke to me with a frank- 
ness which almost frightened me, and which at times seemed 
to me quite involuntary.” 

“ There you were mistaken, at all events,” said Francis, 
shrugging his shoulders. “ Bonaparte never does any thing 
unintentionally, and not a word escapes him but what he 
wants to utter. I know him better than you all, though I 
have seen him only once in my life ; and God knows that, 
after my interview with him subsequent to the battle of Aus- 
terlitz, my heart was filled with intense hatred against him. 
Now, my heart is more constant in hatred than in love ; and 
if it is said that love makes us blind, hatred, on the other 
hand, renders us keen-sighted, and that is the reason why I 
am able to see through Bonaparte and know him better than 
you all. Tell me, therefore, what he said so frankly to you, 
and I shall know what to think of his statements which seem 
to you unintentional expressions of his real sentiments. 
What does he think of the armistice ? Is he really intent on 
drawing the sword once more, or is he inclined to conclude 
peace ? ” 

“ Inclined, your majesty, is not the right word. He in- 
tends to grant peace to your majesty in return for heavy sac- 
rifices. Your majesty will have to sacrifice much territory, 
many fortresses, and finally a great deal of money, in order to 
obtain peace.” 

“ And what if I should not do so ? ” cried Francis, impetu- 
ously. “ What if I should prefer to resume hostilities and die 
honorably on the ruins of my empire rather than purchase a 
dishonorable peace ? What would he say then ? ” 

“ Then he would resume hostilities with his strong and en- 
thusiastic army ; he would, as he told me more than once in 
his thundering voice, be inexorable, and no considerations of 
generosity would prevent him from wreaking vengeance on 
his personal enemy ; for as such he would regard your majes- 
ty in that event.” 

“ But the people of Nuremberg do not hang anyone before 
they have got him,” said the emperor, calmly. “ Bonaparte 
has not got me yet, and I think he will not catch me soon. 
Despite all his braggadocio, he will be obliged to allow the con- 


384 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tinued existence of the Austrian Empire, for all Europe would 
rise against him ; even Russia herself would become his em 
emy, and draw the sword against him, if he should be daring 
enough to appropriate the Austrian Empire and swallow it as 
he swallowed Italy.” 

“ Your majesty, I also do not believe that he would menace 
Austria in case he should be driven again to hostilities ; he 
threatens only the Emperor of Austria.” 

“ What do you mean, Bubna ? ” asked the emperor, vehe- 
mently. 

“ Your majesty,” said Count Bubna, in a low, timid voice, 
“the Emperor Napoleon thinks you are his personal and in- 
exorable enemy, and he believes if a monarch more favorable 
to him were seated on the throne of Austria, he would not 
only soon conclude peace with Austria, but also have a faithful 
ally in ber hereafter. If hostilities should be resumed, and if 
the fortune of war should decide in favor of the Emperor 
Napoleon — ” 

“ Proceed, proceed,” cried the emperor, impatiently, when 
Count Bubna hesitated ; “ I must know all, and am not so 
cowardly as to be frightened by mere words.” 

“ But I, your majesty, am afraid of uttering words whose 
meaning fills me with loathing and horror — words which, 
thank God, will never become deeds ! ” 

“ No preamble, count, but speak out,” cried the emperor, 
impatiently. “ What would Bonaparte do in case he should 
defeat us again ? ” 

“ Your majesty, he would place another emperor on the 
Austrian throne.” 

“ Ah, always the same old strain,” exclaimed the emperor, 
contemptuously. “ One of his brothers or brothers-in-law is 
to become Emperor of Austria, I suppose ? ‘The Hapsburg 
dynasty has ceased to reign ’ — that is it, is it not ? ” 

“No, another prince of the Hapsburg dynasty is to be 
placed on the throne, one of the brothers of the Emperor 
Francis.” 

“ Ah, ah ! he thinks of my brothers,” murmured the em- 
peror, whose cheeks turned very pale. “Well, which of my 
brothers did he designate as future Emperor of Austria ? ” 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 


385 


“He thought it would behest for France if the throne were 
ceded to the Grand-duke of Wiirtzburg, the Archduke Ferdi- 
nand. He said he had had confidence in the grand-duke ever 
since he had been in Tuscany, and he believed that the grand- 
duke was likewise friendly to him. He would make him Em- 
peror of Austria, and add the grand duchy of Wiirtzburg to 
the kingdom of Bavaria.” 

“ And the Tyrol ? ” asked the Emperor Francis. “ Will 
Bonaparte, in his liberality, give that also to Bavaria, or will 
he leave it to my brother Ferdinand, the future Emperor of 
Austria ? ” 

“ No, your majesty. The Emperor Napoleon seems to have 
entirely new and rather singular plans in regard to the Tyrol. 
According to these plans, Bavaria is not to keep it, for Napo- 
leon said angrily that Bavaria had not at all known how to 
deal with the simple and honest Tyrolese. He added that pro- 
found tranquillity should reign in the mountains ; hence, he 
could not restore the Tyrol to Bavaria, against which the Tyr- 
olese were animated by intense hatred. As the Tyrolese had 
manifested their attachment and fidelity to Austria in so ad- 
mirable a manner, it would be best to make the Tyrol an in- 
dependent principality, and give it also to one of the arch- 
dukes, the brothers of the emperor.” * 

“ By the Eternal ! my brothers seem to be the special fa- 
vorites of the Emperor Napoleon,” exclaimed the emperor. 
“ Which of the archdukes is to receive the new principality of 
the Tyrol at Bonaparte’s hands ? ” 

“Your majesty, he said the Tyrol should be given to 
that archduke for whom the Tyrolese had always mani- 
fested the greatest love and enthusiasm, the Archduke 
John.” 

“John !” cried the emperor, giving a start ; “John is to 
become sovereign of the Tyrol ? Ah, my sagacious and 
learned brother has speculated correctly, then ! He first stirred 
up a rebellion in the Tyrol in the shrewdest manner, and 
he will now quiet the beloved Tyrol, by becoming its sovereign 
and ruler.” 

“ Your majesty,” exclaimed the count, in dismay, “ it is not 
* Napoleon’s own words. — See u Lebensbilder,” vol. v., p. 217. 


386 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the noble Archduke John who conceived such plans, but the 
Emperor Napoleon.” 

“ He seems at least to keep up a touching understanding 
with my brothers. I should like to know whether his gener- 
osity will not provide crowns and states for the other arch- 
dukes too. And then, you have not told me yet what he in- 
tends to do with me after hurling me from the throne. Does 
he want to keep me confined like the King of Spain and Pope 
Pius, or will he permit me to live as a refugee in foreign lands, 
like the King of Naples ? ” 

“ Your majesty, Napoleon only dreamed of the future, and 
dreams never are logical and consistent. I myself listened to 
his dreams in silence, and they amused me as the merry fairy- 
stories of my childhood did — fairy-stories invented only for 
the purpose of making us laugh.” 

“ Yes, let us laugh at them,” exclaimed the emperor, burst- 
ing into loud laughter, which, however, sounded so unnatural 
that Count Bubna did not join in it. “And now,” said the 
emperor, whose face suddenly became very gloomy, “ having 
spoken enough about Bonaparte’s funny dreams, let us turn 
to more serious matters. What are the terms on which the 
Emperor of the French would make peace with me ? What 
does he demand ? ” 

“Your majesty, his demands are so exorbitant that I 
scarcely dare to repeat them.” 

“Nevermind,” said the emperor, dryly. “If I could lis- 
ten quietly to the plan regarding my brothers, I believe I shall 
be able to bear the rest. Speak, therefore. What are the 
terms on which Napoleon would conclude peace ? ” 

“ He demands the cession of all the provinces actually oc- 
cupied by the French armies ; the surrender of the fortresses 
still occupied by our troops in these provinces, with their 
magazines, arsenals, stores, and supplies ; the surrender of the 
fortresses of Gratz and Brunn ; and large contributions in 
kind, to be collected by M. Daru, the French intendant-gen- 
eral.” 

“ He intends to spoliate Austria as mercilessly as he for- 
merly plundered Hamburg and the whole of Northern Ger- 
many,” said the emperor, shrugging his shoulders. “And 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 


387 


does not Bonaparte demand any money this time ? Will he 
content himself with provinces, fortresses, and contributions 
in kind ? Will he extort no money from us ? ” 

“ Your majesty, he demands an enormous sum. He de- 
mands the immediate payment of two hundred and thirty- 
seven millions of francs.” * 

“ Well, well, he will take less than that,” exclaimed the 
emperor. 

“ Then your majesty will graciously negotiate with him on 
his terms of peace ? ” asked Count Buhna, joyously. “ Bear- 
ing in mind only the welfare of your monarchy, you will not 
reject his rigorous demands entirely, and not allow the armis- 
tice to lead to a resumption of hostilities, which, under the 
present circumstances, could not but involve Austria in utter 
ruin ? ” 

‘ k I shall think of it,” said the emperor ; “ at all events, I 
have already shown my desire for peace by sending my min- 
isters, Counts Stadion and Metternich, to Altenburg, to nego- 
tiate there with Bonaparte’s minister Champagny. I shall 
not recall them, but allow them to continue the negotiations. 
They are skilled diplomatists, and men of great sagacity. The 
labors of diplomatists generally make slow headway ; hence, 
it will be good for us to lend them a little secret assistance. 
While the plenipotentiaries are negotiating publicly at Alten- 
burg in Hungary, I will secretly begin to negotiate with the 
emperor himself ; and you, Count Bubna, shall be my agent 
for this purpose.” 

“ Your majesty,” exclaimed Count Bubna, in a tone of sur- 
prise rather than joy, “ your majesty reposes in me so much 
confidence — ” 

“ Which, I hope, you will appreciate, and strive to render 
yourself worthy of,” interrupted the emperor. “ I count on 
your skill, your zeal, and, above all, your discretion. You 
will take new proposals of peace to-morrow, on my part, to 
the headquarters of the Emperor Napoleon, at Schonbrunn. 
But no one must learn of your mission, and, least of all, my 
two ministers who are negotiating at Altenburg.” 

“ Sire, I shall keep as silent as the grave.” 

* See Schlosser’s “ History of the Nineteenth Century,” vol. viii., p. 113. 


388 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ A bad comparison, Bubna, for new life is to blossom for 
Austria from your secret negotiations. Well, go now and 
repose ; we will afterward confer again in regard to this mat- 
ter, and I will explain my views to you. But say, Bubna, do 
you really think that Bonaparte was in earnest about his 
dreams, and that, in case he should defeat us again, he would 
seriously think of carrying into effect his plans regarding the 
Archdukes Ferdinand and John ? ” 

“I am afraid, your majesty, he was in earnest.” 

“ The Emperor Napoleon, then, hates me intensely ? ’ ” 

“ He believes that your majesty hates him intensely. He 
told me once frankly that only your majesty’s personal hatred 
had brought about this war, and that he was afraid this hatred 
would frustrate all peace negotiations. I ventured to contradict 
him, but he shook his head vehemently and exclaimed, * The 
Emperor Francis hates me so intensely, that I believe he 
would lose his crown and empire sooner than ally himself 
with me in a cordial manner, even though he should derive 
the greatest advantages therefrom. Do you think, for in- 
stance, that the Emperor Francis, if I wished to become his 
son-in-law, would give me the hand of his daughter, even 
though I should relinquish half the war contribution, and re- 
store to him all the provinces occupied by my armies ? ” 

“ What ? Did Napoleon really say that ? ” asked the em- 
peror, with unusual, almost joyful vivacity. “ But,” he added, 
gloomily, “this is nothing but one of Napoleon’s dreams. He 
has a wife, and the Empress Josephine is so young and gay 
yet that she does not think of dying.” 

“ But the Emperor Napoleon, I have been told, thinks a 
great deal of getting a divorce from her.” 

“ The pope, whom he keeps imprisoned, will never grant it 
to him,” exclaimed the emperor. 

“ I think he will not even apply to him for it, your majesty. 
The Emperor Napoleon never had his union with the Empress 
Josephine consecrated by the Church, and the dissolution of a 
civil marriage does not require the pope’s consent. The em- 
peror can dissolve it by virtue of his own authority.” 

“That is a very convenient arrangement for M. Bona- 
parte,” said Francis, smiling. “Well, go now, count, and re- 


THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN. 


389 


pose. I am very content with your services, and I think I 
shall be so hereafter also. Adieu. I shall send for you 
again.” 

He nodded kindly to the count, and stood still smilingly at 
his writing-table in the middle of the cabinet, until the door 
of the anteroom closed behind Count Bubna. But thereupon 
his face assumed a gloomy, bitter expression, and he lifted up 
his clinched fist with a menacing gesture. 

“ My brothers ! ” he cried, in an angry voice ; “ always my 
brothers ! They are always eager to push me aside. I am al- 
ways to be kept in the shade, that their light may shine more 
brightly. Ah, we shall see who is Emperor of Austria, and to 
whom the Tyrol belongs ; we shall see who is the master, 
and who has to obey. As yet I am emperor, as yet I have 
to decide on war and peace. And I will decide. I will 
humiliate them and compel them to be obedient, these boast- 
ful archdukes, who always preach war and are worsted in 
every battle ! Oh, they are stirring up rebellion, and stretch- 
ing out their hands for my property ! But one stroke of 
my pen will shatter their crowns, stifle their rebellion, and 
reduce them to submissiveness. I will make peace with 
Napoleon, and the seditious Tyrol shall be quieted without 
being bestowed upon the Archduke John. I would rather 
have it restored to Bavaria than that it should be con- 
ferred on my brother. That would be a just retribution for 
the seditious peasants ; they have set a bad example, and 
should be punished for it. I do not want any conspirators 
among my subjects. Let Bavaria see how she will get along 
with the rebellious Tyrolese ! I shall withdraw my hand 
from them. I want peace. I will remain Emperor of Aus- 
tria despite all my brothers ! ” 


390 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


CHAPTER XXXV. 

A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 

The imperial palace at Innspruck was still the residence of 
Sandwirth Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, 
and lieutenant of the Emperor Francis. He had lived there 
since the 15th of August ; but as simply, quietly, and modestly 
as he had lived when he was a horse-dealer and innkeeper, so 
he lived now when he was ruler of the Tyrol, and the emperor’s 
lieutenant. Instead of occupying the large state apartments 
of the imperial palace, as his friends had often asked him to do, 
Andreas had selected the plainest and humblest rooms for his 
quarters, and his style of living was as simple and modest as 
his dwelling-place. Vainly his suite tried to persuade him to 
hold levees and receive guests at his festive table. Andreas 
rejected all such suggestions with proud and withal humble 
indignation. 

“ Do you think I took this arduous task upon myself to 
play the aristocratic gentleman, and revel in luxury ? ” he re- 
plied to those who asked him to adopt such a course. “ I did 
not become the emperor’s lieutenant to display vain and empty 
splendor, but to serve my dear Tyrol and preserve it to the 
emperor. I am only a simple peasant, and do not want to 
live like a prince. I am accustomed to have bread, butter, and 
cheese for breakfast, and I do not know why I should change 
this now, merely because I am no longer at home with my 
dear wife, but here at Innspruck at the emperor’s palace. I 
am also accustomed to dine very plainly, and am therefore 
opposed to any expensive repasts being got up for me here. I 
do not like the meats prepared by the cooks of the aristocracy ; 
and while I do not want anything but bread, butter, cheese, 
and wine, I shall send to Niederkircher’s tavern for my dinner. 
But it must never cost more than half a florin. I will invite 
guests, for I like to have merry people about me ; but the 
guests must not come for the sake of the repast, but for that 
of our pleasant conversation. I shall send to Niederkircher 
for the dinner of all my guests, and he must send enough, 


A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 


391 


lest any of them should remain hungry. But there must 
never be more than six guests, for it would be too bad if I, 
who intend to preserve the Tyrol to the emperor, were to cost 
him a great deal of money here. In order to prevent mis- 
take, Niederkircher must send in his bill every morning for 
me to examine ; the financial secretary shall pay it every 
week, and send me the receipt.”* 

Andreas Hofer remained in these days of his splendor as 
active, industrious, and simple as he always had been. The 
welfare of his beloved country engrossed all his thoughts, and 
he was desirous of devoting his whole strength to it. He is- 
sued a number of useful and liberal decrees, which, it is true, 
Ennemoser, Doninger, Kolb, or other friends of his had drawn 
up, but which he had approved and signed. 

Andreas Hofer gave public audiences every morning like a 
real prince, and the sentinels placed in front of the imperial 
palace and at the door of the commander-in-chief had received 
stringent orders not to refuse admittance to the audience-room 
to any one, but allow all to come in, how poorly soever they 
might be dressed. Andreas listened to every one with kind 
patience and cordial sympathy, and always took care to help 
console the distressed, make peace, and conciliate ; and every 
one who needed comfort and assistance hastened to apply to 
the always helpful commander-in-chief. 

To-day again many persons were in the audience-room, 
waiting impatiently for the moment when the door should 
open, and when Andreas Hofer should make his appearance on 
the threshold, greet all with a pleasant nod of his head, and 
then beckon to him who was nearest to the door to enter his 
cabinet. 

But the hour fixed for the audience had struck long ago, 
and the commander-in-chief, who was usually so punctual and 
conscientious, had not yet opened the door of his audience- 
room. He had already been half an hour in his cabinet, and, 
Doninger sat at the desk, ready to write down the names of all 
applicants for audience, and add a brief statement of their 

* The expenses of Hofer and his whole suite, during their six weeks’ 
sojourn in the city of Innspruck, cost the public exchequer only five hundred 
florins. 


392 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


wishes and petitions. But Andreas was still pacing the room, 
his hands behind his back ; and although he had already laid 
his hand twice on the door-knob, he had stepped back as if in 
terror, and continued striding up and down. 

“ Commander-in-chief,” said Doninger, after a long pause, 
during which he had watched Hofer’s irresolute bearing 
smilingly, “there is something that disquiets you, is there 
not?” 

“ Yes, Cajetan,” sighed Andreas. “As you have found it 
out, I will no longer deny that there is something that dis- 
quiets me.” 

“ And what is it, commander-in-chief ? Will you not com- 
municate it to your faithful and discreet Cajetan ? ” 

“ Yes, I will, my dear Cajetan,” said Hofer. “ I am afraid 
I did something very stupid yesterday, and I am ashamed 
of it.” 

“ Ah, you allude to the lawsuit which you decided yester- 
day,” exclaimed Doninger. 

“You see, no sooner did I say that I did something very 
stupid, than you at once knew what I meant ; what I did must, 
therefore, have been very stupid indeed. Yes, I alluded to the 
lawsuit, Cajetan, for I am afraid I did not decide it, but made 
it only more complicated.” 

“ On the whole, there was nothing to be decided,” said 
Doninger, dryly. “The lawsuit was already decided ; the 
supreme court had given judgment in favor of the plaintiff 
and awarded to him the sum of one thousand florins, which 
was at issue, and sentenced the defendant to pay that sum 
and the costs. But the defendant — ” 

“ It was no man, Cajetan,” interrupted Andreas ; “ it was a 
woman, and that was the worst of it. I cannot bear to see 
women weep. They know so well how to touch my heart by 
their tears and lamentations, that I long to help them. Lord 
Jesus, how that woman, the defendant in the lawsuit, wept ! 
And was it the poor woman's fault, Cajetan, that her deceased 
husband was head over ears in debt, that he borrowed one 
thousand florins from a friend, and meanly affixed his wife’s 
name without her knowledge to the note which he gave for 
it?” 


A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 


393 


u But that is just the trouble, commander-in-chief ; not 
only did she know it, but she herself put her name under the 
note. I myself asked the judges about it yesterday. They 
say that the woman is known to be avaricious, greedy, and 
mean, and they would not have given judgment against her 
if there had not been sworn evidence to the effect that she 
herself signed the note. They add that she is rich enough to 
pay back the thousand florins which her husband certainly 
borrowed from his friend.” 

“ I cannot believe it,” exclaimed Andreas. “ She wept and 
lamented so very unaffectedly ; during my whole wedded life 
I have not seen my wife weep so much as the woman wept 
during that quarter of an hour yesterday; and I think one 
that can weep so much must be innocent. Hence, I did what 
I had a perfect right to do ; I wrote to the judges and re- 
versed their decision.” 

“ Well, commander-in-chief, if you think you were justified 
in what you did, why does it disquiet you ? ” 

“ It does,” said Andreas Hofer, u because I think now that 
the plaintiff, who lost his suit, may feel very sore over it, and 
blame me for depriving him of what he thought was due to 
him ; and I shudder to think he may be in the other room, 
and intend to reproach me with ruining him and taking from 
him what the judges had already awarded to him.” 

“ And, Andy, because you would not like to see one man, 
you keep the others waiting outside.” 

“ You are right, Cajetan. I ought not to do that ; I am a 
selfish, cowardly fellow,” cried Andreas, contritely. “ I will 
no longer keep them waiting, but admit them at once.” 

And he went with a hasty step to the door of the audience- 
room, threw it open, and stepped upon the threshold. The 
large room was crowded with persons of every age and rank ; 
all thronged toward the door, and every one was desirous of 
being the first to greet the commander-in-chief, and to be in- 
vited by him into his cabinet. 

Andreas Hofer bowed kindly to all ; his eyes fell on an old 
man with silver-white hair, who was striving to penetrate to 
him, and cast beseeching glances on him. 

‘ “ My old friend,” said Andreas, mildly, “ it is true you are 


394 : 


ANDREAS HOEER. 


not nearest to the door, but you are the oldest person in the 
room, and therefore it is right for me to listen to you first. 
Come in, then, and tell me what you want of me.” 

The old man, leaning on his cane, hastened forward and 
entered the cabinet, the door of which Andreas Hofer himself 
closed behind him. 

“ Now tell me, my aged friend, who are you, and what I 
can do for you.” 

“ Much, very much, commander-in-chief,” replied the old 
man, in a tremulous voice. “ You can grant me justice. My 
name is Friedel Hofmeier, and I am the unfortunate man who 
gained his lawsuit yesterday, and who was to get his thousand 
florins back, but from whom you took them again by virtue of 
your supreme authority.” 

“ Cajetan, it is as I said,” sighed Andreas, turning with a 
doleful air to Doninger, who sat at the desk, pen in hand, 
and bowed to the commander-in-chief with a shrug. 

“ I come to you, the emperor’s lieutenant, to demand jus- 
tice,” added the old man. “ Your decree was unjust and con- 
trary to law. The judges had decided in my favor, and by 
reversing their judgment, you treat with harshness and cruel- 
ty an old man who stands on the brink of the grave, and de- 
prive my poor grandchild of its whole inheritance.” 

“May God and the Holy Virgin preserve me from commit- 
ting such a crime,” murmured Andreas Hofer, crossing him- 
self devoutly. “ Ah, my friend, why did you not come to me 
ere this, and tell me all about it ? I should have gladly as- 
sisted you in recovering what was due to you.” 

“ And yet it is your fault that I cannot recover what is due 
to me,” cried the old man, mournfully. “ Why should I have 
come hither ere this, and robbed you of your precious time ? 
I confided in my good and just cause; I knew that the good 
God would not abandon me, and that He would not take from 
me, after losing innocently most of my property by the cruel- 
ty of the enemy, who burned down my house and outbuild- 
ings, the last remnant of my little fortune, the thousand florins 
which I lent to my friend, and which his rich wife engaged in 
her own handwriting to pay back ten years after date. The 
ten years had expired ; the good God did not abandon me, for 


A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 


395 


He caused the judges to grant me justice and adjudge the thou- 
sand florins to me.” 

“ And I took them from him again,” murmured Andreas 
Hofer, with tears in his eyes ; “ and it is my fault that he will 
die with a grief-stricken heart. Cajetan, I have ruined the 
old man ; tell me. advise me how to make amends for it.” 

“ You reversed the decision of the judges,” said Doninger, 
slowly ; “you possess the power of reversing all decisions.” 

Andreas Hofer was silent for a moment, and gazed 
thoughtfully into vacancy, as if to fathom the meaning of an 
obscure oracle ; all at once his face brightened, and a joyous 
smile played round his lips. 

“I know it now, Cajetan,” he exclaimed. “I have the 
power to reverse all decisions, and therefore my own also.” 

Cajetan Doninger nodded with silent satisfaction. The 
old man clasped his hands and gazed at Hofer with an ex- 
pression of ardent gratitude. 

“ Will you really do so, Andreas Hofer ?” he asked trem- 
blingly. “Will you reverse your own decree for the sake of 
justice ? ” 

“ Yes, I will,” exclaimed Hofer, joyfully ; “ and I will do 
it immediately. Cajetan, take up your pen and write what I 
am going to dictate to you. There ! now write as follows : 

‘ I, the undersigned, confess by these presents that I committed 
a mistake yesterday, and violated the laws. To confess mis- 
takes and avow faults is no disgrace ; hence, I do so now, and 
beg pardon of the good God and the judges for doing wrong. 
I hereby reverse the decision which I made yesterday. Frie- 
del Hofmeier is to receive the thousand florins which the su- 
preme court adjudged to him, and the decision of the judges 
is to be valid, notwithstanding my decree issued yesterday.’ 
Now give me the pen and let me sign the document.” 

“Oh, dear commander-in-chief,” exclaimed the delighted 
old man, “what a noble and kind-hearted man you are, 
and — ” 

“ Hush ! ” interrupted Andreas, looking up from the paper ; 
“ if I make a mistake now, the whole document will be in- 
valid, and we must commence anew. Now I tell you it is 
hard work to write one’s name with such a pointed pen on the 
26 


396 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


paper, and my name, moreover, has such a long-tailed title. 
Therefore, keep quiet and let me write. There, it is done now 
— ‘Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.’ Now, 
my dear old friend, your document is valid. Take it to the 
city hall, and permit me to congratulate you on having re- 
covered your thousand florins. Say nothing about it now, 
but hasten to the city hall. There are outside a great many 
persons who wish to see me.” 

He handed the paper to the old man, and conducted him to 
the door, which he himself opened for him. He was about to 
follow him, when he suddenly drew back and closed the door 
after him. 

“ Cajetan,” he whispered, anxiously, “ I saw something 
dreadful ! ” 

' “ What was it, commander-in-chief ? ” 

“ Cajetan, I saw the woman whom Friedel Hofmeier sued, 
and to whom I gave the decree yesterday. Cajetan, I was not 
afraid when we were on Mount Isel and at Brixen, hut I am 
afraid of that woman and her dreadful lamentations. I do 
not know what to do, Doninger, if she should have found 
out what I have done, and come in here to reproach me with 
it.” 

“We shall not admit her, commander-in-chief,” said Do- 
ninger, laughing. 

“ But, Cajetan, I made a vow never to refuse admittance 
to any one, and not, as many princes do, to allow distressed 
persons to wait in my anteroom and send them away with- 
out listening to them and comforting them.” 

“ But you heard, Andreas, that the woman is not in dis- 
tress, for she is rich and very avaricious. She told you the 
most impudent falsehoods ; hence, she must not be admitted ; 
for, if you allow her to come in again, she would lie as she 
did yesterday.” 

“ You are right, Cajetan, she must not come in ; and now, 
my friend, pray go and admit the next applicant, but not that 
bad woman.” 

Doninger went to the door, and, opening it, beckoned to the 
person standing nearest to it. 

A young woman, dressed plainly, but very neatly, 


A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 397 

came in, and remained at the door, in visible confusion and 
grief. 

“Well, madame,” said Andeas to her, “ do you come to tell 
me that all is right, and that your husband and you, his pretty 
young wife, live together in happiness and content ? Well, it 
was heavy work to reconcile you two, and persuade you to re- 
main together and love each other, as it behooves a Christian 
couple. It cost me a whole forenoon, but I do not regret it, 
for I accomplished my task, and reconciled you, and all was 
right again between you. And I made you promise to return 
in two weeks and tell me how you got along with each other. 
The two weeks are up to-day, and here comes the pretty 
young wife to tell me that Andreas Hofer did his work well, 
and that her husband is now faithful, tender, and good. Is he 
not ? ” 

“ Alas, he is not ! ” sobbed the young wife, bursting into 
tears. “ Tony, my husband, never stays at home in the even- 
ing ; he returns only late at night, scolds me for weeping and 
upbraiding him with his bad conduct, and yesterday — yester- 
day he wanted even to beat me ! ” 

“ What a bad man ! ” cried Andreas, vehemently. “ Why 
did he wapt to beat you, then ? What had you done ? ” 

“ I had locked the street-door, and would not let him have 
the key when he wanted to leave the house.” 

“ H’em ! that was a little too severe,” said Hofer, hesitat- 
ingly. “ Why should a young man be prevented from going 
out a little ? He cannot always stay at home.” 

“ But he shall not go out without me, and he would not 
take me with him. I had requested him to do so, and he had 
refused ; therefore, I locked the house and would not permit 
him to leave it. He shall not go out without me, for he is 
such a fine-looking man, that all the pretty women of Inn- 
spruck admire him in his handsome national dress, and ogle 
him when he passes by.” 

“ Well, let them admire and ogle him,” exclaimed Andreas, 
smiling. “ What do you care for it, provided your husband 
does not ogle them ? ” 

“ But he does, commander-in-chief ; he runs after the pret- 
ty women ,• he goes to the theatre and the concerts to see them, 


398 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


and speak and flirt with them. Believe me, dearest com- 
mander-in-chief, he deserts me, he is faithless, and all your fine 
and pious exhortations were in vain. He loves me no longer, 
and I love him so dearly, and would like lo be always with him 
and never desert him. But he says it would be inconvenient 
to him, and make him ridiculous, if he should always appear 
together with his wife, like a convict with his jailer.” 

“ What a bad, hard-hearted man ! ” cried Andreas, indig- 
nantly. 

“ He is hard-hearted, indeed,” sobbed the young wife. “ He 
scolds me for my love, and when I like to be with him all the 
time, he says my jealousy is disagreeable to him, and there is 
nothing more abominable than a jealous wife ! ” 

“ Well, he may be right so far as that is concerned,” said 
Doninger, busily engaged in cutting his pen. 

“ What did you say, Cajetan ? ” asked Hofer, turning to 
him. 

“ I did not say anything, but thought aloud,” said Donin- 
ger, trying his pen. 

Hofer was silent for a moment, and gazed into vacancy. 
“ Yes, my dear woman,” he then said boldly, “ your husband 
may not be altogether wrong in complaining of your jealousy. 
I really believe that you are a little jealous, and .beg you to try 
to overcome your jealousy ; for jealousy is a grievous fault, 
and makes many husbands very wretched.” 

“ But must I not be jealous ? ” she cried, vehemently, weep- 
ing bitterly. “ Do I not see that the women are trying to se- 
duce him and make him desert me ? Do I not see him at the 
theatre gazing at the finely-dressed ladies and admiring their 
bare arms and shoulders ? ” 

“ What ! ” exclaimed Hofer. “ Is it true, then, that the 
women here appear in public with bare arms and shoulders ? ” 

“Yes, sir, it is,” sobbed the young wife. “You can see it 
everywhere ; it is the new fashion which the French brought 
here ; the women wear low-necked dresses with very short 
sleeves, so that their shoulders and arms are entirely bare. 
All the aristocratic ladies of Innspruck have already adopted 
this new fashion ; and on seeing them in their boxes at the 
theatre, you would believe they were in a bath, precisely as 


A DAY OF THE EMPEROR’S LIEUTENANT. 


399 


the good God created them. And it is owing only to these 
bare arms and shoulders that my dear husband deserts me and 
loves me no longer. The aristocratic ladies, with their naked 
charms, have seduced him ; and just think of it, he wants me 
to adopt the new fashion too, and go as naked as the other 
women ! ” 

“ You must not do it,” said Hofer in dismay ; “ it is a 
shameless, unchristian fashion, and no decent woman should 
adopt it. This is not the first complaint that I have heard in 
regard to the indecent dress of the women here. Some of my 
neighbors were at the theatre yesterday, and were indignant 
at the indecent appearance of the women there ; they told me 
the women sat there dressed in the highest fashion, their busts 
entirely bare and not covered with a handkerchief such as 
every decent woman in the Passeyr valley wears, and their 
arms adorned with all sorts of golden trinkets such as we see 
only on those of strolling players who perform in barns. But 
I will put an end to it ; I will preserve the good and virtuous 
men from seduction, and will not suffer vice to dress up, and 
shamelessness to stalk by the side of decency. Just wait, my 
dear woman ; I will protect your husband and all other good 
men from the seductive wiles of frivolous women, and issue a 
decree which will tell all the beautiful women how to behave. 
Sit down there and listen to the decree which I shall dictate to 
Cajetan Doninger. Cajetan, take a large sheet of stamped 
paper and write what I shall dictate to you.” 

And pacing the room, and slowly stroking his fine black 
beard with his right hand, Andreas Hofer dictated as follows : 

“Every one will perceive that we have good reason to 
thank the kind and almighty God for helping us so signally 
to deliver the fatherland from a powerful and cruel enemy ; 
and every one will desire that we should henceforth remain 
free from this scourge, with which the Lord, as He punished 
His chosen people often in the Old and New Testament, visited 
and chastised our fatherland, that we might turn to Him and 
mend our ways. We will, therefore, turn to God with heart- 
felt thanks for his great mercy, and with the sincere purpose 
of improving our morals, and pray Him to protect us from 
further persecution. We must try to gain His paternal love 


400 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


by a devout, chaste, and virtuous life, and discard hatred, 
envy, covetousness, and all vices, obey our superiors, lend as 
much assistance as possible to our fellow-citizens, and avoid 
everything that might give offence to God and man. Now, 
many of my excellent comrades and defenders of the country 
have been scandalized at the neglect of many women to cover 
their arms and breasts, whereby they give rise to sinful desires 
which must be highly offensive to God and all good Chris- 
tians. It is to be hoped that they will repent, lest God should 
punish them ; but if they do not, it will be their own fault 
if they should be covered with mire in an unpleasant man- 
ner.” * 

“ Shall I really write that ? ” asked Doninger, looking up 
from his paper. 

“Yes, you shall ; and you shall not omit a word of it,” ex- 
claimed Andreas Hofer. “ Give me the paper, Cajetan ; I 
want to see if you have not scratched out the last words. No, 
there it is : ‘ But if they do not, it will be their own fault if 
they should be covered with mire in an unpleasant manner. ’ 
That is right — now give me the pen, Cajetan, that I may sign 
the document. Then seal it up and send it to the Official Jour- 
nal and the Gazette ; they are to publish it at once, that all the 
women of Innspruck may read it to-morrow and know what 
to do. Now, my dear woman, I hope you will have some rest, 
and need not be afraid of the seductive wiles of those ladies. 
Go home, then ; and if you will permit me to give you good 
advice, be very gentle and kind toward your husband ; and 
for God’s sake do not torment him w T itli jealousy, for that is a 
bitter herb which even the best husband cannot digest, and 
which renders him morose and angry. Go, then, with God’s 
blessing, and come back a week hence, and tell me whether my 
decree has been effectual, and whether your husband goes any 
longer to the theatre and ogles the women there.” 

“ May God and the Holy Virgin have mercy on us ! ” 
sighed the woman, going to the door ; “for I shall not bear it 
if my dear husband ogles other women, and something dread- 
ful will happen if he does not mend his ways.” 

* See “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 135 ; and Hormayr’s “ Ho- 
fer,” vol. ii., p. 445. 


THE LOVERS. 


401 

“ God be praised ! ” said Doninger, with a deep sigh, when 
the woman had left the room. 

“ Why do you say ‘ God be praised’ ? ” asked Andreas, in 
surprise. 

“ God be praised that I am not the husband of this jealous 
woman. She will torment her husband to death, and leave 
him not a moment’s repose before he dies.” 

“ It is true, she does not seem to be very gentle,” said An- 
dreas, smiling. “ But then, Cajetan, she loves her husband 
dearly, is doubtless a virtuous woman, and will never sin 
against the seventh commandment. Well, my friend, do not 
grumble so much, but go and admit another person. ” 


CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE LOVERS. 

Doninger went to the door and opened it, and a beautiful 
young girl slipped immediately into the room. “ Hush, 
hush,” she whispered to Doninger ; “ do not say anything to 
him.” And she hastened on tiptoe to Andreas Hofer, who 
• was reading once more with close attention the proclamation 
which he had dictated to Doninger. 

She bent down and kissed the hand in which Hofer held 
the paper. “ God bless you, dear, great father and liberator of 
the people ! ” she said, in a silver voice. 

“ Lizzie Wallner ! ” exclaimed Andreas, joyfully, casting 
aside the paper. “ Yes, by the Eternal, it is she ! It is Lizzie, 
the dearest child of my best friend — the most heroic girl in the 
Tyrol. Come, Lizzie, embrace your second father, Andy, and 
give me a kiss for father and mother, and one for yourself, 
my dear girl.” 

Eliza encircled Hofer’s neck, and imprinted a tender kiss 
on his lips. “ God bless you, dear father, for you are the 
father of the whole Tyrol,” she whispered, “ and must not scold 
me for calling you my father too.” 

“ On the contrary, it gladdens my heart,” exclaimed An- 


402 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


dreas, folding her tenderly to his breast. “ It seems to me as 
though I were holding one of my own girls in my arms, and 
as though I heard her dear voice calling me father. Lizzie, I 
can tell you I often long for my pretty daughters and their 
mother, Anna Gertrude, and sometimes I feel very lonely in- 
deed.” 

“ And why do you not send for your wife and children, 
father Andy, and have them brought here ? I am sure there 
is room enough for them in this large house.” 

“ No, they shall stay at home,” exclaimed Andreas, vehe- 
mently. “ The mother must attend to household affairs, and 
keep every thing in good order, and the girls must help her 
do it. Otherwise all would go amiss, and when I should have 
no longer to work for the emperor here, and went back to my 
home, the inn in the Passeyr valley would be worthless ; we 
should be destitute, and become beggars. Besides, I do not 
want my girls to become proud, and think they are aristocratic 
young ladies now, because their father is commander-in-chief 
of the Tyrol, and the emperor’s lieutenant. We are peasants, 
and will remain peasants. However, let us speak no more of 
myself, but of you, Lizzie. Where do you come from, what 
do you want here, and how did you get into the midst of the 
crowd in the audience-room ? ” 

“ I came to see you, father Andreas. I asked the sentinel t 
in the passage outside where I would find you, as I had to see 
you on important business. The sentinel told me to enter the 
audience-room. It was already crowded with persons who 
wished to see you, and who told me that one was admitted to 
you after another ; but, on hearing that I had come all the 
way from Windisch-Matrey, and had walked two days and 
two nights without intermission, they took pity on me, and 
would not let me wait until my turn came, but allowed me to 
advance close to the door, so as to be the first to enter your 
room.” 

“ The people of Innspruck are very kind-hearted indeed,” 
exclaimed Andreas, joyously. “ Then you have come all the 
way from Windisch-Matrey, Lizzie ? And where is your 
father ? ” 

“ He and his sharpshooters joined Joachim Haspinger and 


THE LOVERS. 


403 


Joseph Speckbacher, and the united forces of the three com- 
manders marched against the Bavarians. Father and his 
seven hundred sharpshooters expelled the Bavarians from 
the Unken valley, and is now encamped near Berchtesga- 
den and Keichenhall. Speckbacher is stationed at Neuhau- 
ser and Schwarzbach, and Haspinger is still at Werfen. They 
are going to reunite their forces and advance against the Ba- 
varians, in order, if possible, to drive them from the pass of 
Lueg, which the enemy has occupied with a large force.” 

“ And you are not with your father, Lizzie, nor with your 
friend the Capuchin, who speaks of you only as a heroine ? 
You no longer carry the wounded out of the thickest of the 
fight, to dress their wounds and nurse them ? ” 

“ I have another duty to fulfil now, and my father has per- 
mitted me to come to you in regard to it, dear father Andreas 
Hofer. I am in great distress, and you alone, dear, all-power- 
ful commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, are able to help me.” 

“ Tell me quick, Lizzie, what can I do for you ? ” asked An- 
dreas, eagerly. “ I owe you yet a reward for your heroic deed 
on the day of the hay-wagons, and I should like to discharge 
this debt of the fatherland. Tell me, therefore, dear girl, what 
can I do for you ? ” 

“ You can restore to me the dearest friend I have on earth,” 
said Eliza, beseechingly. “You can deliver a patriotic girl 
from Bavarian captivity, and an excellent nobleman, who has 
done no other wrong than that he possesses a loyal Tyrolese 
heart, from grief and despair.” 

“ I will do so with all my heart,” exclaimed Andreas ; 
“only tell me, Lizzie, whom you refer to.” 

“ I refer to Baron von Hohenberg, who lived at the castle 
of Windisch-Matrey, and his daughter, my dear and only 
friend Elza. The old baron was always a very pious and affa- 
ble gentleman, a benefactor and father of the poor ; and not a 
poor man, not a woman in distress applied to him, but whom 
he wdllingly relieved and assisted. He lived for twenty years 
in the Tyrol, at his castle at Windisch-Matrey, and became in 
this manner an ardent son of the Tyrol, although he is a na- 
tive of Bavaria, and his whole aristocratic family lives in 
Munich. His daughter Elza is my dearest friend ; we grew 


404 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


up together, and I am so fond of her that I would readily give 
up my heart’s blood for her. Now, think of it, dear Andy ! 
the Bavarians, on returning to the Tyrol two months ago, 
made the two prisoners, the dear old baron and my Elza, and 
carried them as hostages to Munich ; they charged them there 
with high-treason, because they stood faithfully by the Tyrol, 
and because, at the very outset of the insurrection, the Bava- 
rian soldiers and their captain were surrounded at their castle 
and compelled to lay down their arms.” 

“ Yes, yes, I know the story,” exclaimed Andreas, gayly ; 
“it was an heroic deed by which Anthony Wallner inaugu- 
rated our glorious war of liberation. And now the mean Ba- 
varians call the good Baron von Hohenberg a traitor, when 
he was quite innocent of the whole affair, and was not even 
at home when it took place. They say he left his castle at the 
time in order not to prevent the Tyrolese from capturing the 
Bavarians, and that he was aware of the plans of the Tyrolese, 
and should have warned the Bavarians. But I say that he 
acted like a good patriot, and they ought neither to charge him 
with treason nor imprison him and his daughter.” 

“ Ah, and both long so intensely to return to their dear 
Tyrol and their castle ! Elza wrote me a letter which I re- 
ceived a week ago, and tears had blotted out half of its con- 
tents. Both feel so wretched in the large city of Munich ; 
their aristocratic relatives upbraid them constantly for their 
hostility to the Bavarians ; the confinement and prison-air 
have already made the old baron quite sick, and Elza thinks 
he will surely die of grief if he is not soon released and al- 
lowed to go home. Therefore, I implore you, dear, all-power- 
ful commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, save the old baron’s life, 
restore my Elza to me, and release them both from their cap- 
tivity. This is what I came for, father Andy ; and if you 
think that I have ever done any thing for the fatherland that 
deserves thanks and a reward, thank and reward me by releas- 
ing Elza and her father from their captivity and allowing 
them to return to their home.” 

“I will do all I can,” exclaimed Andreas, profoundly 
moved ; “ and the good God sent you to me to-day, for to-day 
I can help you. — Can I not, Doninger ? ” 


THE LOVERS. 


405 


“ You refer to the Bavarian officer whom you are going to 
send to Munich ? ” asked Doninger. 

“ Yes, the Bavarian officer is to procure their release,” ex- 
claimed Andreas. ‘‘ Look at the fortunate coincidence, Lizzie ! 
Among the prisoners we took on Mount Isel was a Bavarian 
captain, a sensible, excellent man, who, it seems to me, sym- 
pathizes cordially with the cause of the Tyrolese. We re- 
solved to release him on parole and send him to Munich, 
where he was to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, and may- 
be bring about an amicable understanding between us and the 
King of Bavaria. The Bavarian captain — I believe his name 
is Ulrich — ” 

“ Ulrich ? ” asked Eliza, trembling, and blushing deeply. 

“ I believe that is his name,” said Hofer, quietly ; “ his 
other name I have forgotten ; we call him only Captain Ul- 
rich, as you call me Andreas. Well, Captain Ulrich has al- 
ready received his instructions and the list of prisoners whose 
release he is to advocate. It will only remain for us to add Ho- 
henberg’s name to the list, and you yourself, my Lizzie, shall 
urge Captain Ulrich to restore to you the old baron and your 
friend Elza. — Pray, dearest Cajetan, go and fetch the captain ; 
he was to set out in an hour, and he must, therefore, be here 
yet.” 

u He is certainly here yet, for there are his papers, which I 
intended to take to him, and without which he cannot depart,” 
said Doninger. u And here is the list of the prisoners whose 
release he is to procure. ” 

“ Add to it the names of the old baron and his daughter, 
Cajetan, and state that their release is urgently desired.” 

“ But for whom are they to be exchanged ? ” 

“Yes, yes, for whom ? Well, for Captain Ulrich himself. 
If he procures their release, and returns hither, as he solemnly 
swore he would, with the reply of the Bavarian government, 
and, perhaps, brings the old baron and his daughter with him, 
he shall be free and at liberty to go wherever he pleases. Go, 
Cajetan, say that to the captain, and give him the papers, and 
repeat to him once more all that he is to do. And you, Lizzie, 
will you not send by him a note to your friend ? But it is true, 
you have not yet written a letter to her. It is better for you 


406 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


to tell him what he is to say in yonr name to your friend. — 
Go, therefore, Cajetan, take the papers to the captain, and con- 
duct him to Lizzie. But do not bring him in here, for there 
are in the anteroom still a great many persons whom I must 
see before I can converse further with you. Take him, there- 
fore, into the other room ; and when he is there, return to me, 
Cajetan. Lizzie may then go in there and see the captain ; 
and we shall speak with the poor people in the audience-room 
who have had to wait already so long to-day. — But I shall not 
let you go again, my Lizzie,” added Hofer, after Doninger had 
left the room ; “ no, I shall not let you go again. You must 
stay with me at the palace here, and be my dear little daughter 
until the captain returns from his mission, and until you know 
if he brings yonr friend and her father along with him. Will 
you do so, Lizzie ? ” 

“ I will, dear father Andreas ; I will stay with you until 
then, and take care of you as a good daughter, until my dear 
Elza, if it please God, returns, when I will go back with her to 
W indisch-Matrey . ” 

At this moment Doninger re-entered the room. “ The cap- 
tain is in the room yonder,” he said, pointing to a side-door ; 
“ he awaits you, and will set out after seeing you. The car- 
riage is already at the door. Go, therefore, Eliza Wallner.” 

“ I am going already,” said Eliza. She nodded to Andreas 
with a sweet smile and opened the door of the adjoining room, 
while Doninger admitted another person from the audience- 
room into Hofer’s cabinet. 

The room which Eliza entered was one of the large state 
apartments of the palace, which Andreas did not occupy, and 
which he used only on rare occasions. It was a wide room 
with heavy silken hangings on the walls ; curtains of the 
same description covered the windows, so that only a dim twi- 
light reigned in the large apartment. Magnificent gilt furni- 
ture lined the walls ; between the windows stood large Vene- 
tian mirrors in broad carved golden frames, and gorgeous 
lustres of rock-crystal were suspended from the ceiling. 

Was it the splendor and magnificence surrounding her all 
at once that rendered Eliza so timid and anxious ? She leaned 
for a moment in great embarrassment against the door, as if 


THE LOVERS. 


407 


she could not venture to advance on the glittering floor. Her 
large, bright eyes glanced uneasily around the great room, and 
now she saw in the window-niche yonder the tall form of a 
gentleman ; his head was averted from her, and he seemed to 
he looking eagerly out of the window. 

“ I do not know him ; surely, I do. not know him,” said 
Eliza to herself. “ It is foolish in me to think so ; be strong, 
therefore, my heart, strong and calm, and do not throb so very 
impetuously ! ” 

And overcoming her bashfulness with a courageous effort, 
she advanced toward the officer, who was still turning his back 
upon her. 

Now she was close behind him, and said in a low, bashful 
voice : “ Captain, I — ” 

He turned quickly, and gazed at her with eyes radiant with 
joy and intense love. 

Eliza uttered a cry ; she raised her hands involuntarily, 
made a step forward, and lay in his arms before knowing it ; 
she felt his burning kisses on her lips, in her heart, and 
thought and knew nothing but — “ It is he ! It is he ! I see 
him again ! He still loves me!” 

“ See, dearest Eliza,” whispered Ulrich, drawing her close 
to his heart, “I had to act thus in order to elicit your heavenly 
secret from you. I knew it was you who wished to see me ; 
I wanted to take you by surprise, and I succeeded. Your sur- 
prise betrayed what the timid and chaste lips of my Eliza 
would not confess to me. Yes, you love me ! Oh, deny it no 
longer, for your heart betrayed you when you recognized me, 
and when joy illuminated your face like a bright ray of sun- 
shine. Now you are mine, Eliza, and nothing on earth must 
or shall separate us any longer. No, do not try to disengage 
yourself from my arms, my beautiful, sweet, affianced bride ! 
I shall not leave you ; even though the whole world should 
come to take you from me, I should not leave you — no, not for 
the whole world and all its treasures ! ” 

The whole world will not come,” said Eliza, disengaging 
herself gently from his arms ; “ the world does not concern 
itself in the affairs of a poor peasant-girl like me. But I my- 
self intend to leave you, sir ; you must let me go, that we may 


408 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


converse in a sensible manner, as it behooves two decent 
young persons. Take your arms away, Captain von Hohen- 
berg ; it is not right in you to embrace me here while we are 
all alone. You would certainly be ashamed of it if any one 
should see you folding the peasant-girl to your heart.” 

“No, Eliza, I would not ; I should fold you only the more 
tenderly to my heart, and exclaim proudly in the face of the 
whole world : ‘ Eliza Wallner, the peasant-girl, is my affianced 
bride ; I love and adore her as the most faithful, noble, and 
generous heart ; she is to become my wife, and I will love and 
cherish her all my life ! ” 

“ And if you said so, the world would laugh at you ; but 
your parents and my dear Elza would weep for you. Now, 
my Elza shall never weep on my account, and never shall 
your aristocratic parents be obliged to blush for the daughter- 
in-law whom you bring into their house. As a daughter-in- 
law I can never be welcome to them ; hence, they could never 
be welcome to me as parents-in-law.” 

“ Oh, Eliza, your beauty, your angelic purity and goodness 
would surmount their resistance, for no heart is able to with- 
stand you ; and when my parents are once acquainted with 
you, when they have submitted to stern necessity, they will 
soon love you, and fold you as a daughter to their hearts.” 

“ But first they would have to submit to stern necessity, 
and I should have to be forced upon them, that they might 
afterward learn to love me. Much obliged to you, sir; I am 
only a peasant-girl, but I have my pride too, and will never 
allow myself to be forced upon a family, but will only take a 
husband whose parents would come to meet me affection- 
ately, and give me their blessing on the threshold of my new 
home. And now let us drop the subject, and tell me what has 
happened to you during our separation.” 

“ You see, Eliza, what has happened to me,” said Ulrich, 
mournfully. “ After your divine magnanimity had set me 
free, I succeeded in passing through the insurgent country to 
the Bavarian lines and re-entered the service. We fought 
and suffered a great deal, and at length, on the 14th of Au- 
gust, I was made prisoner by the Tyrolese at the battle of 
Mount Isel and taken to Innspruck. However, they do not 


THE LOVERS. 


409 


know my real name here, for I did not want the news of my 
captivity to reach my parents ; I preferred that they should 
lament me as killed in battle, rather than as a prisoner in the 
han’ds of the insurgents. But fate decreed that it should be 
otherwise ; I am no longer to be allowed to keep my mournful 
incognito ; I am to repair to Munich to negotiate there an ex- 
change of the prisoners for the hostages whom our troops car- 
ried off.” 

“ Your uncle and my Elza are among the hostages,” ex- 
claimed Eliza. “Oh, sir, if you really think that you are 
under obligations to me, if you have not forgotten that I saved 
your life, pray procure the release of your dear old uncle, and 
bring him back hither ; for he has indeed a hard time of it in 
Munich, where they charge him with treason, and where even 
his own relatives inveigh bitterly against him. This gnaws 
at his heart, and, unless released speedily, he will die of 
grief.” 

“ I did not know that so sad a fate had befallen him,” said 
Ulrich, gently; “Doninger was the first to tell me of it, on 
bringing me the papers, and conducting me hither. But, I 
confess, in my intense joy on meeting you, my dear, sweet 
Eliza, my ungrateful heart had forgotten my old uncle, who 
gave me so many proofs of his love and kindness, and treated 
me for months as a son at his house. I will try to reward his 
love by availing myself of my influential connections and my 
whole eloquence to bring about his release ; I will go myself 
to the king to intercede in his behalf.” 

“ But you must bring my Elza with you too, sir,” ex- 
claimed Eliza. “ Oh, I implore you, by all that is sacred and 
dear to you — ” 

“ Then implore me by your name, by your sweet face,” he 
interrupted her, enthusiastically. 

“ I implore you from the bottom of my heart,” she con- 
tinued, without taking any notice of his words, “ bring my 
Elza back to me. She is the better half of my soul ; we grew up 
together, we shared all joys and afflictions, and have sworn to 
shed our heart’s blood and die for each other, if need be, and 
to stand by each other in faithful friendship to the last day of 
our lives. Now, I am only half alive when my Elza is not 


410 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


with me. Therefore, dear Ulrich, restore my Elza to me, and 
I will thank you, and bless you, and love you as a brother.” 

“ As a brother ! ” he cried mournfully. “ But I do not 
want you to love me as a brother. I want your heart, your 
whole heart, Eliza ; and it is mine in spite of you — mine ! 
But you are vindictive, and cannot forget and forgive; and 
because I denied and misunderstood you once in my blind 
stubbornness, you wish to wreak vengeance on me, drive me 
to despair, and make me unhappy for my whole life ! ” 

“ I ! ” she exclaimed, mournfully ; “ I wish to make you 
unhappy ? ” 

“ Yes, you,” he said bitterly ; “ you see my sufferings, and 
gloat over them ; you feel that I love you boundlessly, and 
with cold, sneering pride you try to resent my former con- 
temptible haughtiness. You oppose your peasant pride to my 
insensate aristocratic pride ; you want to make me go mad or 
die heart-broken, and your coolness never leaves you for a 
moment, and my grief makes no impression on you ; for, 
when I am dead, you will be able to exclaim : ‘ I fought for 
my country as a brave daughter of the Tyrol ! I killed a 
Bavarian, I broke his heart laughingly ! ’ ” 

“You lie, I shall never say so !” cried Eliza, in an out- 
burst of generous indignation ; “you lie if you think me 
capable of so miserable a revenge; you lie if you believe 
that I have a cold and cruel heart. I wish I had, for then I 
should not suffer what I am suffering now, and I should at 
least be able to forget you. You really charge me with hav- 
ing a cold heart, with hating and despising you ? Do you not 
see, do you not even suspect what I am suffering for your 
sake ? Look at me, then ; see how pale my cheeks are ; see 
how dim my eyes are ! I do not take any notice of it, I do 
not look at myself in the mirror — why should I, and for 
whom ? — but mother tells me so every day, and weeps for me. 
And why am I so pale and thin, and why are my eyes so 
dim ? Because my heart is full of grief ; because I have no 
rest day or night : because there is in my heart a voice which 
I can never silence, not even when I am praying or kneeling 
in the confessional. Do you think I am grieving for the 
sake of the country or the bloody war? What does the 


THE LOVERS. 


411 


country concern me ? I think no longer of it, and yet every 
battle makes me tremble ; and on hearing the booming of 
artillery, I kneel down and pray with tears of anguish to the 
Holy Virgin. Oh, may God forgive me ! I do not pray for 
my father, nor for our soldiers ; I pray for a Bavarian, I pray 
for you ! ” 

“ Eliza ! ” exclaimed Ulrich, radiant with joy, and stretch- 
ing out his arms toward her, “ Eliza ! ” 

“ Hush ! ” she said, stepping back proudly, “ do not speak. 
I have told you the truth, for I do not want you to accuse and 
curse me, when I am blessing you every day. But now go, 
sir ; forget what I have said, but remember me always as one 
who never hated you, and never thought of revenging herself 
upon you.” 

“ Eliza,” said Ulrich, gravely, taking her hand, and gazing 
deeply into her eyes, “ let us now be honest and frank tow T ard 
each other. Our hearts have spoken with each other, and 
God has heard them. You love me, and I love you. Do you 
remember what I said to you when taking leave of you on 
the mountain ? ” 

“ I do not, sir,” she whispered, dropping her eyes. 

“ But I do,” he continued, gravely and firmly. “ I said to 
you : ‘ I will go now, but I shall return and ask you : “ Do 
you remember me ? Will you become my wife ? ” ’ Now, 
Eliza, I have returned, and ask you as I asked you on the 
mountain, Eliza, will you become my wife ? ” 

“ And I reply as I replied to you on the mountain,” she 
said solemnly. “ We can never belong to each other as hus- 
band and wife, but we can remember each other as good 
friends. And so, sir, I will always remember you, and it 
will always gladden my heart to hear that you are well and 
happy.” 

“ Is that your last word ? ” asked Ulrich, angrily. 

“Yes, sir, it is my last word.” 

“Then you are intent on making us unhappy ?” he cried, 
mournfully. “Oh, you crystal-heart, so transparent and 
clear, so hard, so hard ! will you never, then, allow yourself 
to be softened by the sunbeams of love ? Will they always 
only harden your heart ? ” 

27 


412 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ I cannot act otherwise, sir, I assure you I cannot,” she 
said, beseechingly. 

“Well, then, I cannot act otherwise either,” he cried. “I 
shall not accept this mission, I shall not go to Munich, I shall 
stay here.” 

“ No, no, I implore you to go ! ” exclaimed Eliza. “ Save 
my imprisoned countrymen ; save, above all, my Elza and her 
father ! Oh, she is unhappy, she longs for her home ; she is 
weeping for me, for you, sir ! Make haste, make haste ; have 
mercy upon Elza and myself ! ” 

“ Why should I have mercy when you have none ? ” he 
asked, quickly. “ Let the prisoners die of grief ; I am a pris- 
oner too, and shall know also how to die. I shall not leave 
Innspruck unless you promise me that you will become my 
wife on my return, and plight me your faith before the altar 
of God. I swear by all that is sacred to me, I will not leave 
this city unless I take with me your solemn pledge that you 
will overcome your pride and become my wife.” 

“Well, then,” she said, blushing deeply, “go, then. Pro- 
cure my Elza’s release, bring her home, and then — ” 

“ And then ? ” he asked, as she hesitated. 

“ Then you shall receive at the hands of the priest a bride 
who loves you, loves you with infinite tenderness,” she said, in 
a low voice. 

He uttered a cry of joy, and folded her to his heart. But 
she disengaged herself gently. “ Make haste now,” she said ; 
“ for the sooner you depart, the sooner you will return.” 

“ I will set out immediately,” he cried, radiant with joy. 
“ But swear to me, Eliza, that I shall receive immediately on 
my return, even though it should be early in the morning, at 
the hands of the priest, my bride — the bride who loves me 
with infinite tenderness.” 

“ I swear by the Holy Virgin,” said Eliza, solemnly, “ that 
if you bring my Elza to me here, you shall receive your bride 
at the hands of the priest on the day of your return, whether 
it be early in the morning or late at night.” 

“ Captain Ulrich,” shouted Cajetan Doninger, opening the 
door, “ it is high time for you to set out. The carriage has 
been at the door for upward of an hour.” 


ELZA’S RETURN. 


413 


“ I am ready,” said Ulrich, holding out his hand to Eliza 
with a happy smile. “ Farewell, Eliza ; I shall return with 
your Elza in two weeks.” 


CHAPTER XXXVII. 

ELZA’S return. 

A splendid festival was being celebrated at Innspruck on 
the 3d of October, and there were great rejoicings in the city. 
A message of love and joy had reached Innspruck from the 
headquarters of the Emperor Francis at Totis. Three of the 
former leaders of the Tyrolese insurrection, who had escaped 
to Austria at the time of the second invasion of the Bavarians 
— Sieberer, Frischmann, and Eisenstecken — had arrived at 
Innspruck as couriers of the emperor. They had succeeded in 
passing through Styria and Carinthia, although both these 
provinces were occupied by French troops, and had safely ar- 
rived at Innspruck amid the jubilant acclamations of the 
population. They brought cheering news from the Emperor 
Francis. He sent to the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, his 
beloved and faithful Andreas Hofer, a large gold chain and 
medal containing the emperor’s portrait ; and he sent also 
three thousand florins as a gift to the brave sharpshooters. 
But better than all this was an autograph letter from the em- 
peror, who extolled in it the bravery of the Tyrolese, called 
upon them to persevere in their resistance, and promised that 
Austria would succor them vigorously with money and troops. 
The letter stated that the emperor would soon dispatch Baron 
von Reschmann with funds and full instructions to the Tyrol, 
where he would act as commissioner and intendant of the 
army, and that the Tyrolese might confidently look for the 
speedy resumption of hostilities. 

These joyful tidings were received with unbounded en- 
thusiasm, and Andreas Hofer’s face beamed with delight when 
he was formally invested with the gold medal and chain in 
the great church of Innspruck, at the foot of the tomb of 


414 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Maximilian, by the Abbot of Wiltau, amid the tears and accla- 
mations of a vast concourse of spectators, who afterward, pre- 
ceded by the municipal authorities, accompanied him in sol- 
emn procession to the imperial palace. Andreas presented a 
splendid appearance in the fine gold-embroidered uniform 
which he wore to-day in honor of the celebration, in place of 
his Tyrolese costume ; his heavy gold chain and the medal 
with the emperor’s portrait, glittered under his fine black 
beard on his breast, and he wore a black hat with a plume and 
inscription to him as the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the 
gift of the holy sisterhood of Innspruck. 

Andreas Hofer’s face shone with happiness as he walked 
along in this manner amid the acclamations of the whole 
population and the ringing of all the bells ; but his heart was 
nevertheless full of humility, and lifting his beaming eyes to 
heaven, he murmured to himself, “ O my Lord and God, Thou 
hast accomplished every thing ; Thou hast protected us and 
vouchsafed us victory ! Glory to Thee alone ! Preserve me, 
0 Lord, from pride and arrogance, and let me recognize al- 
ways that I am nothing but Thy unworthy servant, and that 
Thou alone vouchsafest us victory and blessest our cause ! ” 

The imperial palace was festively decorated to-day, and a 
splendid banquet was to take place there in honor of the cele- 
bration. All the functionaries of Innspruck had been invited ; 
a brilliant ball was to be given at night in the large throne- 
hall, and the beautiful girls of Innspruck were to dance to the 
inspiring notes of the orchestra in honor of the festive day. 
For the first time Andreas Hofer had permitted music and 
dancing, and all the beautiful girls of Innspruck were prepar- 
ing to take part in the brilliant festival and enjoy the rare 
amusement. 

All faces were radiant ; even Eliza’s sweet countenance 
was lit up to-day with the sunshine of happiness. A great joy 
had fallen to her share to-day, for Ulrich von Hohenberg had 
arrived early in the morning, and with him his uncle, old 
Baron von Hohenberg, and his daughter Elza. Ulrich had 
redeemed his promise ; precisely two weeks had elapsed since 
his departure, and now, after these terrible days of suspense, 
which Eliza had passed in tears, in silence, and at the same 


ELZA’S RETURN. 415 

time in mysterious activity, Ulrich had returned, and with him 
Elza, Eliza’s dearest friend. 

Ulrich had looked on with an expression of quiet happi- 
ness when Eliza embraced her Elza again and again with tears 
of joy ; she knelt down repeatedly by the side of the couch on 
which had been laid the old baron, whose strength had been 
utterly exhausted by the journey, the excitement, and the suf- 
ferings he had endured in prison ; she pressed his hands to 
her lips tenderly, and withal humbly, and thanked God that 
her good old friend and her Elza, the better half of her life, 
had been restored to her. 

But after this impetuous and joyous meeting, the old baron 
felt so very feeble that he urgently needed repose and silence, 
and Elza had to conduct him to the bedroom which had been 
prepared for him. 

Eliza and Ulrich were alone now. She trembled, and, 
wishing to avoid this tete-a-tete , glided softly to the door ; but 
Ulrich hastened after her and seized her hand. 

“ Eliza,” he said, solemnly, “ I have fulfilled all your wish- 
es. I have brought back with me my uncle and your friend 
Elza ; the King of Bavaria accepted the exchange which I of- 
fered ; he released the baron and his daughter, and Andreas 
Hofer sets me free in his turn. I am, therefore, no longer a 
prisoner, and as a free man I ask you now, do you remember 
the oath you swore to me on the day of my departure ? ” 

“ I do,” she whispered in a low voice. 

“ Repeat the oath to me,” he said, imperatively. 

“My oath was as follows : ‘I swear by the Holy Virgin 
that, if you bring my Elza to me here, you shall receive your 
bride, who loves you with infinite tenderness, at the hands of 
the priest.’ ” 

“ You have not forgotten the words, Eliza. But will you 
fulfil them now ? ” 

“ You insist on it ? ” she asked, looking up to him timidly 
and mournfully. 

“ Yes, I do,” he said, with a blissful smile. 

“Well, then,” she whispered, almost inaudibly, “I shall 
keep my oath.” 

He uttered a joyous cry, pressed her hand to his lips, and 


416 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


gazed with an expression of infinite tenderness into her blush- 
ing, quivering face. 

u Oh, do not tremble, love,” he said ; “ do not look anxious- 
ly into the future. I shall know how to protect my wife from 
grief and humiliation. To make you happy shall be my sweet- 
est joy ; to see you honored and recognized by society will be 
my incessant effort, as it will be my bounden duty. You will 
fulfil your oath, and you must do it this very day. Let me 
go, then, and get a priest ; and you, my sweet girl, place a 
myrtle- wreath on your head, for I shall call for you soon and 
conduct you triumphantly to the great church of Innspruck ; 
for our marriage shall take place publicly and in the face of 
the whole population.” 

“ No, sir,” she said, shaking her head gently. “ I will re- 
deem my promise, but I beg, nay, I implore you, permit me to 
make all necessary arrangements, and let me have for once 
my own way.” 

“ And what do you wish, then, beloved ? ” 

“ I wish that no one should learn of our plan, and that you 
should conceal it all day long from every one, and speak of it 
to no one, neither with your uncle, nor with Elza, nor with 
Andreas Hofer.” 

“ But how am I to get a priest to marry us ? ” 

“ Leave it all to me, sir. I will get a priest. I have con- 
fided only to my dear old friend Joachim Haspinger, the Cap- 
uchin, who was lately in Innspruck, what would take place 
in case you should return with my Elza, and he promised that 
he himself would marry us. Accordingly, on being informed 
this morning by the courier of your speedy arrival, I sent at 
once a mounted messenger to Father Haspinger, and I am sure 
that he will come to Innspruck to-day.” 

u You intended, then, to redeem your promise of your own 
accord ! ” exclaimed Ulrich, joyfully ; “ you thought of it 
without being reminded of it. Oh, I thank you, my Eliza, for 
I see now that you really love me.” 

“ Yes, sir, I really love you,” said Eliza, solemnly. “ You 
will find it out this very day. Will you promise me now to 
conceal our plan from every one, and let me make all neces- 
sary arrangements ? ” 


ELZA’S RETURN. 


417 

“ 1 do, my sweet girl. Tell me what I am to do, and I will 
obey you silently and unconditionally.” 

“ Well, then, dear Ulrich,” she said, in a tremulous voice, 
“ com e to-night, at nine o’clock, to the chapel here in the im- 
perial palace. As a witness, I hope you will find there our 
dear commander-in-chief, Andreas Hofer. Father Haspinger 
will stand before the altar, and your betrothed will kneel be- 
fore the altar too, ready to become your wife, and love and 
serve you all her life.” 

“And I shall find there my betrothed, to whom I shall 
plight my faith before the altar, and whom I will love and 
cherish all my life ! ” exclaimed the captain, in profound emo- 
tion. 

She bent her head gently, as if to accept his solemn vow. 
“ Then you will come to the chapel at nine ? ” she asked. 

“ I will,” he said, smilingly, “ and you may be sure that I 
shall be promptly on hand. I shall be as punctual as the dig- 
ger after a hidden treasure, who must disinter it at the stated 
hour, if he does not want to lose it entirely. I shall be at the 
chapel at nine o’clock.” 

“ Very well, at nine o’clock. And now farewell until then, 
sir. I have a great deal to attend to yet in getting up the 
bridal dress and ornaments, for I do not want you to be 
ashamed of me to-day, Ulrich. Your bride must not look like 
a peasant-girl. She must be dressed up beautifully, like an 
aristocratic lady — like Elza, for instance. ” 

“ Dress as you please,” he said, smilingly, “ but do not be- 
lieve that I shall ever be ashamed of the peasant-girl, and try 
to conceal the descent of my sweet, lovely wife.” 

“And will you ride with me to-morrow to my father’s 
house ? ” she asked. “ Will you present yourself to my father, 
Anthony Wallner, commander of the Puster valley, as his 
son-in-law ? Oh, you know full well, Anthony Wallner is a 
hero ; not only the Tyrol, but all Germany is familiar with 
the heroic deeds which he performed at the battle of Taxen- 
bach against the Bavarians. He has taken the field again, 
and, after joining the forces under Joseph Speckbacher, and 
Father Haspinger, he will attack the Bavarians at the Pass of 
Lueg, and, if it please God, defeat them. I suppose, Ulrich, you 


418 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


will accompany me to my father, Anthony Wallner, and ask 
your father-in-law to give you his blessing ? ” 

“But you told me just now, Eliza, that he is not at 
home ? ” 

“ Well, then,” she exclaimed, earnestly, “ we will ride to the 
Pass of Lueg.” 

Ulrich was silent, and looked down in evident confusion ; 
he did not see that Eliza fixed her eyes on him with a search- 
ing, mournful expression. 

“Eliza,” he said, after a pause, lifting his head slowly, 
“ you possess a magnanimous heart and a delicate soul. Your 
heart will forgive me, therefore, for not fulfilling your wish, 
and your soul will understand that I cannot fulfil it. Your 
father is the commander of the Tyrolese, who have risen in re- 
bellion against Bavaria, and he is fighting against the Bavari- 
ans, my countrymen and comrades. I have recovered my 
liberty, hut I had to swear not to take up arms again during 
the present war against the Tyrolese. The King of Bavaria 
permitted me to take this oath, and ordered me to return to 
Munich, where I am to remain till the end of the war. I must 
set out for the Bavarian capital to-morrow, and my sweet, be- 
loved wife will accompany me. After the war is over, and 
when there is peace again in the beautiful Tyrol, I shall return 
with my Eliza to her home, and ask my father-in-law, Anthony 
Wallner, to give me his blessing. I shall be at liberty then to 
praise his heroism loudly, and love and honor him as my wife’s 
father. Do you understand that I cannot act otherwise, be- 
loved ? ” 

“ I do,” she replied “ I do understand that the Bavarian 
Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg cannot now go to the Tyrolese 
commander, Anthony Wallner, ask him, while he is fighting 
against the Bavarians, to bless him, and call him father-in- 
law. Let us leave it to the future to grant us peace and happi- 
ness.” 

“ You understand that I cannot act otherwise,” he said, 
anxiously. “ But you are sad ? I see a cloud on your fore- 
head, Eliza.” 

“No, not a cloud,” she exclaimed, shaking her head. 
“ Every thing is clear in my mind, and I see distinctly what I 


ELZA’S RETURN. 


419 

must do. Come, tlien, to the chapel at nine ; every thing will 
be in readiness there.” 

“ You will be there, my lovely bride,” exclaimed Ulrich, 
blissfully, opening his arms to her. “ Oh, do not avoid me, 
Eliza ; you are mine now, your place is on my heart, do not 
avoid me ! See, I am submissive and obedient, and I will not 
take what you do not give me of your own accord. But give 
me now your bridal present, Eliza ; give me the first kiss of 
love ! ” 

“ No, sir,” she said, almost anxiously ; “ on the wedding- 
day no pious bride must desecrate her lips by kissing or par- 
taking of food before going to the altar. Only devout thoughts 
should fill her heart ; and she ought to pray and implore the 
saints to vouchsafe happiness to her. Let me go, therefore, 
and fulfil my sacred duties.” 

“ Yes, my sweet, innocent dove, I will let you go,” said Ul- 
rich, gently. “ Pray to God and the saints for you and me, 
but be punctual to-night.” 

“I shall, sir. Now, farewell. Go out by this door, for 
Elza is coming to me. I have to tell her a great many things 
yet.” 

“She will know your secret then ? You will confide to her 
what I am not to betray to any one ? ” 

“No, sir, I shall tell her nothing about it. No one but 
God must know my secret. For the last time, then, farewell, 
sir ! ” 

“ Farewell, Eliza ! Oh, give me your hand ! ” Let me 
press it once to my heart ! Oh, fear nothing, Eliza, my un- 
holy lips shall not desecrate even your band to-day. Now I 
will go, my child ; farewell until to-night, my sweet love ! ” 

He bowed to her with a blissful smile, and left the room 
quickly. Eliza looked after him, motionless, breathless, listen- 
ing to his footsteps, and heaving a deep sigh when they died 
away in the distance. Then she laid both her hands convul- 
sively on her heart. 

“ Oh, it is in great pain ! ” she murmured. “ It seemed at 
one time as though it would break, and as though I should die 
on the spot. But I must not die, nor even weep. And I feel 
that the good God helps me, and that he approves of what I 


420 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


am going to do. It was God Himself who prompted me to ask 
Ulrich if he would accompany me to my father. He was 
obliged to reply that he could not go to the enemy, though 
this enemy was to become his father-in-law. When he told 
me that, my heart bridled up, and was once more glad and 
strong. I knew all at once that I was doing right, and I will 
carry out my plan to the bitter end. But hush, hush ! here 
comes Elza ! I must put on a cheerful face now.” 

u Lizzie, my Lizzie, are you here ? ” asked Elza, opening the 
door. 

“ Yes, here I am, Elza,” exclaimed Eliza, who hastened with 
a smiling face to her friend. 

“ And where is Ulrich ? Why is he not here ? Oh, I sat 
with such a throbbing heart at father’s bedside ; I longed so 
much for him to fall asleep ! Oh, Lizzie, I have to tell you so 
many things ! Ah, you do not know how' happy I was during 
this splendid, charming journey ! To be always by Ulrich’s 
side, w T hat a bliss ! And how tenderly and attentively he took 
care of my dear old father, just like a good, grateful son, who 
would like to guess from his father’s eyes every wish he 
might entertain. I often wept tears of joy on seeing him sup- 
port my father, almost carrying him into the carriage, and 
arranging his seat for him, and on hearing him comfort the 
old man in gentle yet manly words. Ulrich did not speak of 
God and the saints, and yet what he said was pious, pious as a 
prayer of holy charity. Oh, how noble, good, brave, and 
gentle, Ulrich is ! ” 

“ And you love him, Elza, do you not ? ” 

u Yes, I love him with all my heart, and shall for ever- 
more. But where is he ? Where is Ulrich ? Was he not 
with you ? ” 

“ He was, Elza ; he left me at the moment when you 
came.” 

“ He was here so long ? And what did you speak of ? Oh, 
tell me, Eliza, what did you speak of ? ” 

“ Of you, Elza,” said Eliza, with a wondrous, radiant ex- 
pression. 

“ Ah, of me ! ” exclaimed Elza, joyfully. “ Oh, tell me, 
Lizzie, do you think he loves me ? ” 


THE WEDDING. 


421 


“ I do not believe it, Elza, I know it for certain. He in- 
trusted me with an important commission for you, and asks of 
you a great proof of your love. Come, Elza, let us go to my 
room. We will be sure there not to be overheard by any one. 
I will tell you everything there.” 


CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

THE WEDDING. 

Night had come, and the people of Innspruck had not yet 
set bounds to their rejoicings. All the streets were brilliantly 
illuminated ; a festive performance was played at the theatre, 
and the apartments at the imperial palace began to fill with 
the guests who had been invited to the ball. 

But while the palace was shining with splendid lustre for 
the first and last time during the reign of Andreas Hofer, one 
of its wings had remained gloomy and silent. It seemed as 
though the loud voices of the world shrank from penetrating 
hither. Even the sentinel pacing the long, deserted corridor, 
trod more softly and crossed himself every time he reached 
the end of the passage. For the imperial chapel lay at the end 
of the corridor in this wing of the palace, and through the 
high windows there one could look down upon the altar and 
the holy lamp. 

The sentinel had just walked up the corridor once more 
slowly and dreamily, when he suddenly saw two men coming 
along. He stood still respectfully and presented arms. These 
two men were Andreas Hofer, the commander-in-chief, and 
Old Red-beard, Joachim Haspinger, who was walking by his 
side, in his brown cowl and his heavy leather shoes. 

On approaching the sentinel, Andreas Hofer stood still and 
nodded kindly to him. “It is not necessary for you, Joe, to 
stand here all alone and present arms. I know you are one 
of the best dancers in the Passeyr valley, and as there is a ball 
at the palace, you had better go there and dance. I believe 
the good God Himself will watch over His chapel here.” 


422 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


“ Much obliged to you, commander-in-chief — much obliged 
to you ! ” exclaimed the soldier, joyfully ; and he ran down 
the corridor as fast as his feet would carry him. 

“ How gay and high-spirited these young folks are ! ” 
sighed Hofer. 

“ And why are you not merry too, brother Andy ? ” asked 
the Capuchin. “ A great honor was conferred upon you to- 
day ; they paid you homage and cheered you as though you 
were the Messiah. The whole city is illuminated for your 
sake to-night ; at the theatre, the orchestra played flourishes 
three times, and the whole audience rose the moment the 
commander-in-chief entered the house. But scarcely had the 
morose hero been there a quarter of an hour when he sneaked 
off again. I followed him stealthily, and found him at last in 
his office ; and while the whole city is rejoicing, he sits at the 
table covered with papers, and weeps big tears into his 
beard ! ” 

“ But I told you, brother, that couriers had arrived from 
the valley of the Adige, and informed me that the prospects 
of our cause are very gloomy there. The people are split up 
into factions, which are engaged in bitter wranglings. How 
can I rejoice at the extraordinary honors paid to me, when 
there are such dark spots in the country ? ” * 

“ Do not think of that now, Andy. The Lord has helped 
us hitherto, and He will help us henceforward ; for our cause 
is just, and no enemy is able to stand up against it.” 

“And do you think, brother, that what we are going 
to do now is also good and just?” asked Hofer, hesitat- 
ingly. 

“ Yes, I do, Barbone. Lizzie Wallner is a noble, brave girl, 
and the good God and His angels love her.” 

“ Well, if you say so, brother Capuchin, it must be all 
right ; for you are a priest of the Lord, and would certainly 
not consent to cheat God in so holy a place.” 

“ God cannot be cheated,” said the Capuchin, solemnly ; 
“ only short-sighted man can. Now, Lizzie Wallner has keen 
eyes and a pure heart ; hence she looks into the future, and 

* Andreas Hofer’s own words. — See “ Bilder und Erinnerungen aus Tyrols 
Freikeitskampfen von 1809,” by Loritza, p. 13. 



THE WEDDING. 


423 


sees what the short-sighted Bavarian cannot see, and helps 
him and herself to escape from the abyss into which both of 
them would otherwise fall. She is a genuine heroine, and I 
am proud and fond of her. Otherwise I should not have 
come to Innspruck to-day. I came only for her sake and at 
her urgent request. We are exceedingly busy at the earth- 
works near the Pass of Lueg, and look from day to day for 
the Bavarians to attack us. Hence I must return there this 
very night, that I may be with our men to-morrow in case 
there should be a fight.” 

“ God grant that you may be victorious ! ” sighed Andreas. 
“ But hark ! the clock strikes nine, and the sexton is already 
lighting the candles on the altar.” 

“ But he has been instructed to light only two of them, lest 
there should be too much light,” said the Capuchin. “ Let us 
go down now, brother Andreas, and do not forget what you 
have to do. When the bride enters by the small side -door, 
you go to meet her, take her hand, and conduct her to the 
altar. After they are married, you offer her your hand again 
and beg of her permission to accompany her to the door of her 
room.” 

“ All right, I will do so,” said Andreas. “ Come, let us go 
down to the chapel.” 

A dim twilight reigned in the small chapel. Only two of 
the tall wax-lights burned on the altar, and shed their flicker- 
ing rays on the vigorous form of the Capuchin, who was 
standing in front of it, and praying in a low voice with 
clasped hands. Close to him, near the steps of the altar, stood 
Andreas Hofer, his head bent down, and his hands clasped on 
the small crucifix which was to be seen about his neck by the 
side of the gold medal and chain. 

Footsteps were heard now in the aisle of the chapel, and a 
tall man in dark civilian’s dress approached the altar. An- 
dreas Hofer drew himself up to his full height and went to 
meet him. 

“ God bless you, Captain Ulrich ! ” he said, kindly ; “ I 
hope you will accept me as witness of your marriage.” 

“ I thank you, commander-in-chief, for consenting to be 
our witness,” said Ulrich, cordially ; “ and I thank you also, 


424 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


Father Haspinger, for coming to Innspruck from such a dis- 
tance to marry us.” 

“ I come whenever Eliza Wallner calls me and needs me,” 
said the Capuchin, solemnly. 

A small side-door now opened, and a female form in a long 
white silk dress came in. Her head was covered and con- 
cealed with a white veil, which surrounded her whole form 
like a cloud, and flowed down to the ground. On her head, 
over the veil, she wore the diadem of the virgin and bride, a 
blooming myrtle-wreath. 

While Andreas Hofer went to meet her and took her hand 
to conduct her to' the altar, Ulrich contemplated her with a 
throbbing heart, and unutterable bliss filled his bosom. 

“ She has kept her word,” he thought; “ she has doffed the 
costume of the Tyrolese girls and thereby divested herself of 
her whole past. Oh, how splendid her form looks in this 
dress ; she seems taller and prouder, and yet so lovely and 
sweet.” 

He gazed at her as she approached slowly with a light spring- 
ing step, leaning on Andreas Hofer’s arm; he saw only her! 
He did not hear a door opening softly yonder in the vestry, 
which contained several latticed windows ; he did not see the 
dark female form which approached the windows, and whose 
pale face looked out for a moment and then disappeared has- 
tily. He saw only her, his beloved, his bride, who stood now 
by his side, whose hot, trembling hand now rested in his 
own, and who returned gently the tender pressure of his 
hand. 

And now Father Haspinger raised his voice and spoke in 
devout and impressive words to the bride and bridegroom of 
the solemnity of this sacred hour, of the importance of the 
union which they were about to enter upon before God, and 
of the sacred duties the fulfilment of which they were to vow 
before the altar. 

“ And now I ask you, Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg,” he 
said, in a loud voice, “ will you take your betrothed here for 
your wife, and love and cherish her all your life long ?” 

He replied in a loud, joyous voice, “ Yes.” 

“And you, young maiden,” added the Capuchin, “ will you 


THE WEDDING. 425 

take your betrothed here for your husband, and love and cher- 
ish him all your life long ? ” 

A low, timid “ Yes ” fell from her lips. Stifled sobs and 
groans resounded in the direction of the vestry. 

“ Join hands, then,” said the Capuchin, solemnly, “ and let 
me exchange your rings in token of your union. I marry 
you now in the name of God, and henceforth you are man 
and wife. What God hath joined together, let not man put 
asunder. Kneel down now and receive the benediction.” 

The bride and bridegroom knelt down hand-in-hand before 
the altar ; the concealed woman knelt down in the vestry 
alone, trembling and quivering with anguish. 

When the benediction had been given and the bride and 
bridegroom rose, she rose likewise from her knees. “ Holy 
Virgin,” she prayed in a low voice, “give me strength now ! 
Thou beholdest my heart, and seest what I am suffering ! 
Oh, be with me in Thy mercy, and give me strength and con- 
stancy !” 

The ceremony was over now, and Andreas Hofer ap- 
proached the bride. 

“ As your father was prevented from being present,” he 
said, “ permit me to take his place and conduct you to your 
room. I suppose you do not object to it, Captain Ulrich ! ” 

“ On the contrary, I am obliged to you for taking the place 
of my sweet bride’s father. Lead the way, I will follow you.” 

“No, sir, wait a moment,” exclaimed Father Haspinger, 
solemnly. “ I must speak a few words with you privately.” 

“ And I have to thank you for your kindness in coming to 
our wedding,” said Ulrich, standing still in front of the 
altar, and following only with his eyes his bride, who was just 
leaving the chapel with Andreas Hofer by the side-door. 

“ Captain Ulrich,” said the Capuchin, after the door had 
closed behind the two, “I have complied with Eliza Wallner’s 
request, and married you to your betrothed. You are now 
man and wife, and nothing but death can separate you from 
your wife. Do not forget this, sir. But will you also do what 
I am now about to ask of you ? ” 

“ I promise to do it, if it be in my power.” 

“ In the vestry yonder is one who wishes to see you. Go to 


426 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


her. But promise me by all that is sacred to you that you will 
listen to her calmly ; that, whatever she may say to you, you 
will not inveigh against her ; and that you will overcome 
your heart and submit like a brave man to that which cannot 
be helped.” 

‘‘ I do not comprehend what you mean,” said Ulrich, smil- 
ingly, “ but I promise to submit like a brave man to that which 
cannot be helped.” 

“ Go, then, to the vestry,” said Father Haspinger ; “ I will 
leave the chapel, for no one except God should hear what she 
has to say to you.” 

He bowed to Ulrich, and quickly walked down the passage 
to the large door of the chapel. Ulrich hastened to the vestry, 
and, opening the door, murmured to himself : “ What a strange 
mystery ! Who can await me here ? ” 

“ I await you here, sir,” said a low, tremulous voice. 

Ulrich looked up, and stared at her who stood before him 
with clasped hands and gazed at him with beseeching eyes. 

“ Eliza ! ” he exclaimed, starting back with a cry of horror ; 
“ Eliza, you are here ? ” 

“ Yes, I am here,” she said ; “ I am here to implore your 
forgiveness.” 

“ My forgiveness ? ” he asked, trembling, and pressing both 
his hands to his temples. “ My God ! my head swims — I be- 
lieve I shall go mad ! Eliza is here, she stands before me in 
her peasant costume, and she left me only a few moments ago 
in a white bridal dress, and with a myrtle- wreath on her head. 
What does this quick transformation mean, and how was it 
possible ?” 

“ It is no transformation, sir,” said Eliza, bashfully. “ I am 
Eliza Wallner, the peasant-girl, and she who left you in the 
chapel is your wedded wife, the young Baroness von Hohen- 
berg — ” 

“You are my wedded wife, you alone ?” he cried, impetu- 
ously. 

“ No, sir, I am not ! ” 

“ You are not ?” he cried, vehemently. “And who is she 
who went from me there ? ” 

“ She is your wife, who loves you with all her heart,” said 


THE WEDDING. 


427 


Eliza, solemnly ; “ she is the wife whom your parents selected 
for you from your earliest youth ; she is Elza von Hohen- 
berg.” 

Ulrich uttered a cry of rage and despair, and rushed upon 
Eliza with uplifted hand, pale as a corpse, and with flashing 
eyes. 

She bent her head and whole form before him. “ Strike 
me, I deserve your anger,” she said, humbly. 

Ulrich dropped his arm with a groan. “ Then you have 
cheated me, wretched girl ! ” he cried, furiously. “ You wished 
to revenge yourself on me, you lied to me, you betrayed me, 
you enmeshed me with hypocritical falsehoods, and played an 
infamous game with me ! Well, why do you not laugh ? Your 
efforts were successful, you have revenged yourself. Oh, I am 
in despair ; my rage and grief will break my heart. Why do 
you not laugh ? ” 

“Ido not laugh, sir, because I see that you grieve, and be- 
cause God knows that I would give up my heart’s blood to 
spare you an hour of suffering.” 

He burst into scornful laughter. “And yet you have 
treated me so infamously ? You have played a miserable 
comedy with me, and perjured yourself ?” 

“ Sir, I have not perjured myself,” cried Eliza. “ I have 
fulfilled faithfully the oath I swore to you when you took 
leave of me and went to procure my Elza’s release.” 

“ You have fulfilled it ? False girl ! repeat your oath to 
me, that I may convict you of perjury.” 

“ I said that if you would bring back Elza, you should re- 
ceive your bride, who loved you with infinite tenderness, at 
the hands of the priest, whether it was early in the morning 
or late at night ! ” 

“ Well, then, have you fulfilled your oath ? Have you not 
perjured yourself ? ” 

“ I have fulfilled my oath ; I have not perjured my- 
self. Elza loves you, sir ; she loves you with infinite tender- 
ness.” 

“ Oh, what miserable, insidious sophistry ! ” cried Ulrich, 
sinking despairingly on a chair. “Your words were as full 
of duplicity as your heart is ; and I, poor, short-sighted dupe, 
28 ' 


428 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


believed your words ! And not you alone, but Elza, too, 
has cheated me — she whom I loved as a sister, and whom I 
should have loved even better, if you had not stepped in be- 
tween us, if I had not seen you. Elza has betrayed me too ; 
she did not shrink from playing so unworthy a part ! Oh, it 
will break my heart, it will break my heart ; I lose in this 
hour all that I loved ! Nothing remains to me but contempt, 
scorn, and dreadful loneliness ! ” 

He buried his face in his hands and wept bitterly. 

“Sir,” exclaimed Eliza, with a cry of despair, kneeling 
down before him, “ you weep ? ” 

“ Yes, I weep,” he sobbed ; “ I weep for my fallen angels, 
my lost paradise ! I am a man; therefore I am not ashamed 
of my tears.” 

Eliza lifted her eyes and clasped hands to heaven. “ Holy 
Virgin,” she exclaimed, “ give strength to my words, that he 
may hear and understand me ! ” 

She rose from her knees, stepped close up to Ulrich, and 
laid her hand on his shoulder. “ Sir,” she said, “ do you re- 
member yet what I said to you on taking leave of you on the 
mountain ? I reminded you of it the other day, but you for- 
got it again. I said to you : ‘ You are a nobleman, and I am 
a peasant-girl ; you are a Bavarian, and I, thank God, am again 
an Austrian. We do not suit each other, and can never be- 
come husband and wife.’ That is what I said to you, and 
I repeated it to you the other day, but you would not under- 
stand it.” 

“ Because I loved you, Eliza ; because I felt that my love 
would be strong enough to surmount all obstacles ! ” 

‘‘Was your love strong enough to prevail on you, sir, to 
go to my father, Anthony Wallner, and ask him to bless you, 
his son-in-law ? See, I asked you to do so, because I knew 
that you would refuse, and because I thought it would con- 
vince you that we could never become man and wife and 
ought to part. For without the blessing of my parents I 
could never follow a husband into the world ; nor would you 
want a wife who did not bring with her either the blessing of 
her parents or that of your own, for you are a good and ex- 
cellent man. That was the reason, sir, why we could not 


THE WEDDING. 


429 


become man and wife, even though it should break our 
hearts.” 

u Our hearts ? ” he cried, impetuously. “ Do not speak of 
your heart; it is cold and hard.” 

“ What do you know about my heart ? ” she asked. “ I do 
not bear it on my lips, nor in my eyes either. It rests deep 
in my bosom, and God alone sees and knows it. But I, sir, 
know another heart; I gazed deeply into it, and discovered in 
it the most fervent love for you, sir. This other heart is that 
of my Elza: Elza loves you ! And you know that I love Elza, 
and therefore you must believe me, even though you distrust 
me in other respects. I shall love my Elza as long as I live, 
and I swore to her never to abandon her, never to deceive 
her. She confides in me, sir ; she did not conceal from me a 
single fold of her heart. Should I have told her, ‘Captain 
Ulrich, whom you love, and whom your father wants to be- 
come your husband, loves me; and I, whom you call your 
best friend, although she is but a peasant-girl, while you are 
the daughter of a nobleman, will take your lover from you 
and make him my husband ? ’ No, sir, never could I have 
said so ; never should I have been capable of breaking Elza’s 
heart : I preferred to break my own ! ” 

“ She does not know that I love you ? She ought to have 
known it, inasmuch as she consented to play this unworthy 
part and take your place before the altar.” 

“ She did not know any thing about it; I deceived her. I 
told her you sent me as a love-messenger to her, and that I 
had taken it upon myself to obtain her consent to a clandes- 
tine marriage with you, because you were obliged to set out 
for Munich this very night, and because you wished to take 
with you the certainty that she would be yours forever, and 
that you might have the right of protecting her after God had 
taken her father from her and made her an orphan. Sir, 
Elza loves you, and therefore she consented, and became your 
wife.” 

“And her father? Did he, too, consent to the decep- 
tion ? ” 

“ Her father, sir, is very sick, and I believe he is on his 
death-bed. Elza told him nothing of it, for the excitement, 


430 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


the joy might have killed him. I told her it was your will 
that she should be silent ; and because she loves you and 
would comply with all your wishes, she was silent, obeyed 
your call, and came all alone to the altar to become your 
wife.” 

“ My wife ! she is not my wife ! The marriage is null and 
void, and I shall never acknowledge it.” 

“ Elza is your wife, sir, your wife before God and man. A 
priest married you, and you swore before the altar to love 
and cherish her. Oh, sir, I beseech you, do not repudiate my 
Elza, for she loves you ; and by repudiating Elza you will re- 
pudiate me, for Elza is the better half of my heart. In mak- 
ing her happy, think that you make me happy ; and in loving 
her, think I feel that you love me ! ” 

“ Oh, Eliza,” cried Ulrich, gazing at her as she stood be- 
fore him with a glowing countenance, “ Eliza, you angel, why 
can I not possess you ? ” 

“ Because it is not God’s will, sir ! ‘ The blessing of the 
parents builds houses for the children, 1 says the proverb ; 
hence we could not build a house, sir, for we had not the 
blessing of our parents. Now you have it, Elza brings it to 
you, and she brings you love, sir, and happiness. No, do not 
shake your head; she brings you happiness. You do not be- 
lieve it now, for your heart grieves, and he who has such a 
wound thinks that ic never will heal. But love is a good sur- 
geon. Elza will dress your heart and heal it.” 

“ And your heart, Eliza, will it heal, too ? For your heart 
has likewise a wound, and, whatever you may say to the con- 
trary, you loved me.” 

“I loved you!” she exclaimed. “No, say rather I still 
love you ! If I had not loved you, should I have been strong 
enough to withstand your supplications and resist my own 
heart in order to secure your happiness ? Oh, be happy, then, 
— be happy through me and for my sake ! Fold Elza to your 
heart, love her and let her love you ; and when in future 
days, happy in Elza’s arms, and surrounded by her sweet 
children, you remember the past and its grief smilingly, do 
not forget me, but say, ‘ Lizzie was right after all ! She loved 
me faithfully ! ’ ” 


THE WEDDING. 


431 


“ Faithfully ? ” he asked, bursting* into tears. “ Your heart 
will heal likewise, Eliza ; you will forget me in the arms of 
another husband.” 

“ No, sir ! My heart, I hope, will heal, but God alone will 
heal it, and no other husband. I am not able to love another 
man, and I believe, moreover, I have something else to do. 
The fatherland needs brave hands, and I belong to my father- 
land and my father. We shall have war again, sir, war with 
the Bavarians. Thank God, you will not be among our ene- 
mies ! I shall carry our wounded out of the thickest of the 
fight, and nurse them ; and if a bullet hits me, well, then, I 
shall die for the fatherland, and it will gladden your heart, 
also, to hear that Lizzie Wallner died as a brave daughter of 
the Tyrol. I pray God to let me die in this manner. Amen ! 
But now, sir, go to your young bride. She will be wonder- 
ing already at your long absence. Oh, go to her, sir, and be 
kind and loving to her ; let her never suspect what has taken 
place between us, and that you did not marry her of your 
own accord.” 

u I cannot dissemble, Eliza ; I cannot turn my heart like 
a glove.” 

“ Do I ask. you to do so ? Have you not always loved 
Elza ? Love her now, then ; love her for my sake, love me in 
her ! Go, sir; Elza is waiting for you. I shall go too. Our 
good Haspinger is waiting for me, and I shall go with him to 
my father. We shall never meet again, and therefore I will 
give you now my wedding-present. You asked me for it this 
morning, and I refused ; but now I will give it to you volun- 
tarily. Close your eyes, sir, for you must not see what I give 
you ; and do not open them until I tell you to.” 

“ I will close my eyes, Eliza, but I shall see you neverthe- 
less in my heart.” 

She glided up to him with a noiseless step. Faithful to 
his word, he had closed his eyes firmly. She gazed at him 
long and tenderly, as if to engrave his features deeply on her 
heart ; then she bent over him and imprinted a kiss on his 
forehead. 

“ God bless you, Ulrich,” she whispered, and kissed his fore- 
head once more. “ Farewell ! ” 


432 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


And before be was able to prevent it, or even know it, she 
glided to the small door leading from the vestry into the 
street. 

Ulrich heard the jar of the door, and opened his eyes. 
Eliza stood in the open door, and cast a last, parting glance on 
him. Joachim Haspinger stood behind her. 

‘‘Eliza,” cried Ulrich, hastening to her, “you will leave 
me ? ” 

He would have seized her hand, but Haspinger stepped 
between them. “ Go to your bride, sir,” he said, imperatively. 
“ Eliza will accompany me and go to her father ! ” 


CHAPTER XXXIX. 

THE TREATY OF PEACE. 

The Emperor Francis was still at Prince Lichtenstein's 
castle of Totis, in Hungary, but for some days past there had 
no longer reigned there the profound silence and calm mo- 
notony which had prevailed during the first days of the im- 
perial sojourn. Couriers came and went, equipages rolled 
up, and conveyed to the castle some of the Austrian diploma- 
tists, with whom the emperor conversed a long while in 
his cabinet, whereupon they departed again. Even Baron 
von Thugut, the all-powerful ex-minister, had been drawn 
from his tranquil retirement, and called to the headquarters 
of the Emperor Francis at Totis. Francis had locked himself 
up with him in his cabinet, and conversed with him in so low 
a tone that Hudelist, although he had applied his ear to the 
keyhole, had been unable to hear a single word of importance ; 
and the emperor was so reticent as to the subject of his con- 
versation with Thugut, that the Empress Ludovica, although, 
after Tbugut’s departure, she had sought frequently to fathom 
the meaning of his presence there in her interviews with the 
emperor, did not receive the slightest information from her 
husband. 

Great commotion reigned at Castle Totis already early in 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


433 


the morning of the 12th of October. Prince Lichtenstein had 
arrived in the first place, and Count Bubna had come soon 
afterward. The emperor had gone with the two diplomatists 
to his cabinet ; they had left it several hours afterward, and 
departed immediately. 

Count Metternich had likewise arrived at Totis, and re- 
paired at once to the emperor’s rooms. The count ordered 
the footman in the anteroom to announce him to his majesty, 
but the servant shook his head with a polite smile. 

“ It is unnecessary for me to announce your excellency,” 
he said. “ His majesty ordered me to conduct your excellency 
at once to his cabinet. Be so gracious, therefore, as to follow 
me, your excellency.” 

And he hastened, with a noiseless step, through the apart- 
ments. Count Metternich followed him quickly, and an im- 
perceptible sneer played over his fine youthful face as he was 
walking through these sumptuous rooms, whose deserted ap- 
pearance was the best proof of the precarious situation of the 
emperor. 

The footman stood now before the door of the imperial cab- 
inet ; after waiting until his excellency had come close up to 
him, he opened this door, and said, in a loud voice, “ His ex- 
cellency, Count Metternich ! ” 

When the count entered the cabinet, the emperor was sit- 
ting at his writing-table, and holding in his hand a paper which 
he had read, but which he laid down now, to rise and greet the 
count. It did not escape Metternich’s keen, prying eyes, that 
the emperor’s face was more serene to-day than it had been for 
a long time past ; and, on bowing deeply to his majesty, he 
asked himself what might be the cause of this unusual seren- 
ity, and who might have brought the glad tidings which had 
awakened so remarkable a change. 

“ Welcome, count, welcome ! ” said the emperor, in his 
sonorous voice, and with a graceful smile. “ I sent for you 
because I am exceedingly anxious to learn the progress of your 
peace-negotiations at Altenburg. Is there no prospect yet of 
a speedy termination of this abominable war ? ” 

“ Your majesty, I regret to say that the negotiations are 
progressing very slowly,” said Count Metternich, mournfully. 


434 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ The Emperor of the French persists with stubborn petulancy 
in all his demands, and refuses firmly to abate them.” 

“ Indeed, is Bonaparte so stubborn ? ” asked the emperor, 
kindly. “ How far have you advanced in your conferences 
with Minister Champagny ? ” 

k ‘ Your majesty, we have not advanced yet beyond the diffi- 
cult questions concerning the contributions in money and the 
fortresses. France refuses obstinately to take less than two 
hundred and thirty-seven millions of francs, and insists on the 
cession of the fortresses of Gratz and Briinn, which her troops 
have not even occupied up to this time.” 

“ That is to say, you have not advanced in your peace ne- 
gotiations beyond what both sides were willing to concede at 
the outset ? ” 

“ Pardon me, your majesty. In the beginning of the nego- 
tiations we were entirely ignorant of the demands of France, 
while we are familiar with them now, and know what course 
to adopt in regard to them. After learning the adversary’s 
intentions, one may more easily devise ways and means to 
frustrate them.” 

“ But you have been devising them a long time already 
without obtaining any results,” said the emperor, shrugging 
his shoulders. u Well, what do you think, my dear count, 
will be the upshot of your peace negotiations ? ” 

“ Will your majesty permit me to tell you the truth ? ” 
asked Count Metternich, with his most winning smile. 

The emperor nodded his head. 

“ Well, then, your majesty, I believe that war will be the 
upshot of all these peace negotiations. The demands of 
France are so exorbitant that Austria cannot submit to them. 
Austria’s honor will compel us to resume hostilities ; for a 
government may, if need be, acquiesce in the loss of some of 
its territories, but it must never submit to a violation of its 
honor.” 

“ But do you know that a resumption of hostilities will en- 
danger not only some of our territories, but our existence ? 
Our armies are disorganized, disheartened, and without a 
competent commander-in-chief ; and my distinguished broth- 
ers, who are at the head of the different corps, are quarreling 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


435 


as though they were old women, and not princes. Besides, 
money, the best general in war times, is wanting to us.” 

“ Only declare your determination to resume hostilities, 
your majesty, and money will not be wanting to you. Your 
people will gladly sacrifice all their property for this purpose, 
for your people hate Napoleon and desire vehemently that 
hostilities should be resumed.” 

“ See here,” exclaimed the emperor, almost menacingly, 
“ let me advise you not to allude to my people, if you want 
me to remain on good terms with you. I have no people ; I 
have subjects, and want only subjects.* If I need money, I 
shall impose additional taxes on my subjects, and they will be 
compelled to pay them ; but they need not offer me any pres- 
ents, for I think it would be incompatible with my imperial 
honor to accept them. An emperor must not accept any thing 
as a present at the hands of his subjects, not even their love, 
for it is the duty of the subjects to love their emperor. Bear 
this in mind, count, and do not repeat again this new-fash- 
ioned word ‘ people I cannot bear it, it smells so much of the 
republic and guillotine. Well, I have told you that, if we re- 
sumed hostilities, we should be destitute of three very essential 
things, namely, a good army, a great captain, and money. 
There is no doubt whatever that we should lose the first battle 
again ; and if we were compelled then to sue for peace, Bona- 
parte would impose still more rigorous terms upon us : we 
should be obliged to accept them, and should lose both ter- 
ritories and honor. Now you know my views, count, and you 
shall know also the principal reason why I sent for you. Look 
at this paper. Do you know what it contains ? The treaty of 
peace ! ” 

“ The treaty of peace ? ” cried Metternich, in dismay. 
“Your majesty does not mean to say — ” 

“ I mean to say that I have made peace with the Emperor 
of the French. Here is the paper ; take it. The whole thing 
is done now. ” 

“ Your majesty,” exclaimed Metternich, looking at the 
paper which the emperor had handed to him, “ it is really 
true, then ? You have already signed the treaty without be- 

* Schiosser’s “ History of the Eighteenth Century.” 


436 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ing so gracious as to employ your ministers or even inform 
them of it ? ” 

“ Yes, I have, for I thought we needed peace ; hence, I 
signed the treaty, and Prince Lichtenstein and Count Bubna 
have taken a copy of it to the headquarters of the Emperor 
Napoleon at Schonbrunn, and I believe he will sign it also. 
Well, do not look so dumbfounded, count, and do not wonder 
any longer that I succeeded in making peace without your 
assistance. I allowed you and Stadion to go on with the ne- 
gotiations, and did not prevent you from displaying your 
whole diplomatic skill at Altenburg against Bonaparte’s min- 
ister, Champagny ; but all this could not prevent me either from 
promoting the affair a little here at Totis, after my own fashion, 
and now all is over. For the rest, my dear count, bear in mind 
what I now say to you. I appointed you my minister, because 
you are an able and clear-headed man, and an industrious and 
reliable functionary. I shall let you act, decide, and govern, 
and not complain if people say that you are all-powerful in 
Austria, and that your will alone guides the ship of state. Let 
people say and think so, but you shall not think so, count ; you 
shall know once for all what our mutual position is. I 
allow you to govern so long as you govern in accordance 
with my views ; but if I am not satisfied with the course 
you are pursuing, I shall pursue my own course, and it will 
only remain for you to follow me, or retire from public 
affairs. Now decide, my dear count ; will you follow me, 
or — ” 

“Sire, there is no ‘or,’” interrupted Count Metternich. 

“ It is your majesty’s incontestable right to lead the way, and 
indicate to me the course I am to pursue.” 

“ That is right ; I like to hear that kind of language ! ” ex- 
claimed the emperor, holding out his hand kindly to the count. 

“ You may depend upon it now that we two shall remain yet 
a long while together, and that, since we are going to have 
peace in the country, we shall rule together in tranquillity 
and harmony. There, take the paper now to your room, and 
read it attentively, that you may become thoroughly familiar 
with it ; above all things, do not forget the secret articles, for 
you know they are always the most important of all. Pray 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 437 

return to me in an hour from now ; we will then work to- 
gether.” 

“ Sire, I shall be here punctually,” said Count Metternich, 
bowing deeply, and walking backward to the door. 

‘‘ I believe he will be here punctually,” said the emperor, 
smiling, after Metternich had left the room. “ He is. afraid, if 
he should not he promptly at my door, it might never open to 
him again. I want them all to feel that I am their master 
and emperor — I alone ! Now I am through with Metternich, 
and it is my brother’s turn. I will give him to day a lesson 
which he will not forget all his life long.” 

The emperor rang the hell. “ Has my brother, the Arch- 
duke J ohn, not yet arrived ? ” he asked the footman who en- 
tered the room. 

“ Your majesty, the archduke has just arrived, and is wait- 
ing for your orders.” 

“ I request my brother to come to me immediately,” said 
the emperor. After the footman had glided noiselessly out of 
the room, Francis walked repeatedly up and down, and his 
face assumed a gloomy expression. “ He shall learn now that 
I am his master,” he murmured ; “ I will break his haughty 
spirit, and humiliate him so deeply that he will never think 
any more of plotting against me.” 

At this moment the door opened, and the Archduke John, 
whom the footman announced, entered the room. He looked 
pale and sad ; the last months, full of care and grief, had 
gnawed deeply into his soul, and deprived his eyes of their 
fire, and his form of its youthful fulness. 

The emperor saw it, and a sardonic smile illuminated for a 
moment his features, which, however, quickly resumed their 
gloomy expression. “ Ah, brother,” exclaimed the emperor, 
greeting the archduke with a slight nod of his head, “ we have- 
not seen each other for a long time ; hence, I sent for you. I 
wish to communicate important news to you. The war is at 
an end. I have concluded peace with the Emperor of the 
French.” 

“ Peace ? ” asked John, incredulously. “ Your majesty con- 
descends to jest, and that is a good symptom of your majesty’s 
excellent health.” 


438 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ I never jest with you,” said the emperor, dryly. “ I tell 
you in dead earnest, I have concluded peace with Napoleon. 
Austria loses a great deal by this peace ; she cedes one-third 
of her territory, and pays, moreover, besides the contributions 
imposed heretofore, the sum of eighty-six millions of franc.” * 

“ But what of the Tyrol ? ” asked John. “ I am sure your 
majesty will keep the faithful Tyrol ? ” 

“ No,” said Francis, looking his brother full in the face, 
“ the Tyrol will be divided ; one part of it will he restored to 
Bavaria ; the other part will be given to the Viceroy of Italy, 
and become a province of French Italy.” 

“ That is impossible ! ” cried John, in dismay ; “ that can- 
not he your will — ” 

“And why not ? Why is it impossible ?” asked the em- 
peror, sternly. 

“Your majesty,” said John, facing his brother boldly, 
“ you pledged your word to the Tyrolese solemnly, in the face 
of God and the whole world, that you would not conclude a 
peace which would separate the Tyrol from your monarchy.” 

“ Ah, you dare to remind me of it ? ” cried Francis, in a 
threatening tone. 

“Yes, I do,” said John, vehemently ; “and I have a right 
to do so, for it is I who pledged my honor that the imperial 
promise would he redeemed. It was I who stirred up the in- 
surrection of the Tyrolese, who repeated the promises of their 
beloved emperor to them ; it was I who called upon them in 
the emperor’s name to organize a conspiracy and rebellion, 
and who induced them to draw the sword and fight for their 
liberty. Your majesty, thousands of the noblest Tyrolese 
have lost their lives in this contest ; thousands lie wounded 
and in great pain ; the soil of the Tyrol, formerly so tranquil 
and peaceful, is reeking yet with gore ; the fields are not cul- 
tivated; where prosperity formerly reigned, there is now dis- 
tress and starvation ; where peace and tranquillity prevailed, 
there rages an insurrection ; where merry and happy people 
used to live, and where nothing was heard formerly hut the 
ringing notes of the Ranz des Vaches and the merry Jodlers 
of the herdsmen, there are to he seen now only pale, mournful 

* Napoleon signed the treaty of Schonbrunn on the 14th of October, 1809. 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


439 


invalids, tottering along painfully, and nothing is heard but 
the booming of artillery and the lamentations of the impover- 
ished and starving mountaineers. And yet, despite all their 
disasters and privations, the faithful Tyrolese stand firm, for 
their hearts are full of hope and love for their emperor. They 
risked all in order to become Austrians again; and even now, 
when the deplorable armistice has compelled your troops to 
sheathe their swords, the faithful and confiding Tyrolese con- 
tinue their struggle for their emperor and the liberty of their 
beloved country. All Europe gazes with astonishment and 
admiration upon this heroic people, which alone is yet coura- 
geous enough to resist the French despot, which alone does 
not yet bow to his decrees, and still draws its sword against 
him, while all Europe is crouching before him in the dust. 
Oh, your majesty cannot and will not abandon this faithful 
people, which loves you and believes in you. It would be 
high treason to think your majesty capable of such a step, for 
you pledged your word to the Tyrolese, and never will an Em- 
peror of Austria break his word and incur the disgrace of per- 
juring himself.” 

The emperor uttered a cry of rage, and, entirely forgetful 
of his assumed calmness, rushed upon the archduke with flash- 
ing eyes and uplifted arm. 

“ You dare to insult me ! ” he cried. “ You are impudent 
enough to charge me with perjury ! You — ” 

The archduke on seeing his brother so close before him, 
furious and with clinched fist, started back a few steps. “Your 
majesty,” he said, “ I am sure you do not intend to insult your 
brother. Pray take your hand away, for if it should touch 
my face, my forehead, I should be obliged to forget that you 
are the emperor, that you are my brother, and should demand 
satisfaction of you.” 

“ The emperor would not give satisfaction to a rebel,” said 
Francis, dropping his arm slowly ; “ he would crush the rebel 
by a word, and deliver the traitor into the hands of his 
judges.” 

“ Well, then, do so,” exclaimed John ; “ punish me, let me 
expiate with my blood the boldness with which I reminded you 
of the sacred promise which you gave to the Tyrolese. But do 


440 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


not forget your word ; do not abandon the faithful Tyrol ; do 
not destroy the only hope of these honest, innocent children 
of nature, who confide so touchingly in their emperor ! Oh, 
your majesty, let us both forget the vehement words which 
anger and grief caused us to utter just now ! I implore your 
majesty’s forgiveness— I confess that I sinned grievously 
against my emperor. But now have mercy in your turn ! 
See, I bow to you, I kneel down before you, and. implore you, 
by your imperial honor and in the name of the Tyrol, do not 
abandon the Tyrol and its commander-in-chief, Andreas Ho- 
fer, and do not forget your solemn promise that you would 
never consent to a treaty of peace that would not forever in- 
corporate the Tyrol with your states. You want to make 
peace with Napoleon ; but the treaty has not been proclaimed 
yet, the world does not know of it yet, and it is still possible 
for your majesty to break off the negotiations. Oh, do so, 
your majesty ; redeem the word you pledged to the Tyrol, and 
do not conclude a peace which will not indissolubly unite the 
Tyrol with your monarchy. Permit the Tyrolese at least to 
conquer their liberty once more, and, after they have done so, 
protect it. Send me to the Tyrol, permit me to place myself 
at the head of the brave mountaineers, and you shall see that 
the Tyrolese will rise as one man and fight with the courage 
of lions. Oh, your majesty, send me to the Tyrol, that the 
Tyrolese and the whole world may learn that the emperor of 
Austria keeps his word and does not abandon them, and that 
he sends his own brother to them in order to tell them that he 
will not consent to any peace which will not incorporate their 
country with Austria ! ” 

The emperor burst into loud and scornful laughter. “ Ah, 
you are very shrewd, brother,” he said ; “ you think I myself 
should give you permission to go to the Tyrol and play there, 
with redoubled splendor, your part as savior and liberator of 
the province. You think I am ignorant of your nice little 
plan, and do not know why you wish to go to the Tyrol, and 
what intentions you entertain in regard to it. Yes, sir, I know 
all ! I am aware of your plans. I know that you are a revo- 
lutionist and rebel. You wanted to make yourself sovereign 
of the Tyrol. That is the reason why you incited the people 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


441 


to rebellion, and intrigued and plotted until the poor peaceable 
peasants became insurgents and rebels against their Bavarian 
king, and unfurled the banner of blood with frantic fanati- 
cism. You say thousands have fallen in the Tyrol in the 
struggle for liberty ; you say thousands lie wounded on the 
gory soil of their native country ; that prosperity has disap- 
peared, and poverty and starvation reign in the Tyrol ? Well, 
then, all this is your w r ork ; it is your fault. You stirred up 
'the insurrection, and committed the heavy crime of inciting a 
people to revolution. The Tyrol belonged to Bavaria ; the 
Tyrolese were subjects of the King of Bavaria ; nothing gave 
them the right to shake off the rule of their king and choose 
another sovereign. And you think I should be so weak as to 
approve of the bad example set by the Tyrolese, and encourage 
the crimes committed by the revolutionists ? You think I 
should sanction your work and consecrate your traitorous 
schemes by permitting you to go to the Tyrol in order to 
preach insurrection once more, make yourself sovereign of 
the Tyrol, come to an understanding with M. Bonaparte, and 
be recognized and confirmed by him as Duke of Tyrol ? ” 

“ Brother,” cried John, in dismay, “ I—” 

“ Hush,” interrupted the emperor, imperiously ; “ no one 
has a right to say a word when I am speaking. I am not 
speaking to you as your brother, but as your emperor. And 
as your emperor, I tell you now, you will not go to the Tyr- 
ol, you will not dare to cross again the frontiers of the Tyrol 
without my permission ; and I promise you that you will have 
to wait a long while for this permission. And as your em- 
peror I order you further to inform the Tyrolese that I have 
concluded peace with France, and to call upon them to lay 
down their arms and submit to their fate.” 

“ Your majesty, never, never will I do that! ” cried John. 
“Oh, you think the good Tyrolese would then begin to 
doubt the honesty of their adored archduke, and withdraw 
from him their love, which was to erect a throne for him ? ” 
“No, your majesty,” said John, looking him full in the 
face ; “ I mean that I have pledged my word to protect the 
Tyrolese, and help and succor them in their struggle for lib- 
erty and for their emperor, and that I will not incur the dis- 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


442 

grace of having cheated a whole people and abused their con- 
fidence and love in the most revolting manner.” 

“ Oh, you want to intimate to me once more that I have 
done so— that I have abused the confidence and love of the 
Tyrolese in a revolting manner?” asked the emperor, with 
a freezing smile. “ No matter, keep your opinion ; hut you 
shall surely obey me, and do it at once in my presence. Seat 
yourself at my writing-table yonder. You are a scholar, and 
know how to wield the pen quickly and skilfully. Write, 
therefore. Inform the faithful Tyrolese that peace has been 
concluded ; order them to lay down their arms and submit 
obediently to their new master.” 

“I cannot, brother,” cried John, mournfully. “Have 
mercy upon me ! I cannot deliver a whole people to the exe- 
cutioner’s axe. For, if you withdraw your hand from the 
Tyrol, if you surrender it to the tender mercies of the Bava- 
rians and French, they will wreak a fearful revenge on the 
Tyrolese for all the defeats and humiliations which the heroic 
mountaineers have made them undergo.” 

“ That will deter the mountaineers from entering into any 
more conspiracies and revolutions, and teach them to be pa- 
tient and submissive ; and they will thereby become an aw T ful 
example to my own subjects. Do not disobey me any longer. 
Seat yourself and write, archduke ! ” 

“ No,” cried John, vehemently, “ your majesty may punish 
me as a rebel, take my life, or sentence me to everlasting im- 
prisonment, but I cannot obey ! I cannot write such a procla- 
mation !” 

“I shall not punish you as a rebel,” said the emperor, 
shrugging his shoulders ; “ I shall not take your life, I shall 
not sentence you to everlasting imprisonment ; but I will 
withdraw my hand entirely from the Tyrol. I will not, as I 
had resolved and stipulated expressly, give the fugitive Tyro- 
lese, if they should succeed in crossing the frontier, an asylum 
here in Austria, and protect them to the best of my power ; 
but I will deliver them as escaped criminals to their legiti- 
mate sovereigns, that they may punish them according to 
their deserts. Nor shall I, as I intended to do, stipulate in the 
treaty of peace that the ancient constitution shall be con- 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


443 


firmed and guaranteed to the Tyrolese ; nor shall I, finally, 
as I had resolved to do, appoint a commission which will afford 
relief to the fugitives who escape with their families to Aus- 
tria. It will be your fault if the poor Tyrolese are deprived 
of these boons, and you will expose the deserted people to the 
most fearful persecutions.” 

“ No, your majesty ; no one shall ever be able to say that,” 
cried John, profoundly moved. “I will obey your order and 
draw up the proclamation.” 

He hastened to the writing-table, and, throwing himself on 
a chair in front of it, uttered a deep groan and dropped his 
head on his breast as though he were dying. 

“Well, do not reflect so long, brother,” said Francis, “but 
write ! ” 

John took up the pen, and, restraining the tears which 
filled his eyes, wrote quickly a few lines. He then rose as 
pale as a corpse, and, approaching the emperor slowly, handed 
the paper to him. 

“Your majesty,” he said, solemnly, “I have complied with 
your order. I inform the Tyrolese that peace has been con- 
cluded, and exhort them to submit. Will you now fulfil the 
conditions, on account of which I have written this to the 
Tyrolese ? Will you grant an asylum here in Austria to those 
who shall succeed in escaping their tormentors and execution- 
ers ? Will you appoint an imperial commission which will 
afford relief to the fugitives and their families ? And last, 
will you see to it that the ancient constitution is guaranteed to 
the Tyrolese in the treaty of peace ? ” 

“ I pledged you my word that I would do so, dear brother,” 
said the emperor, smiling ; “ and you yourself said a while 
ago, ‘ Never will an Emperor of Austria break his word and 
incur the disgrace of perjuring himself.’ Well, read to me 
now what you have written. I should like to hear it from 
your own lips. ” 

The archduke bowed and read in a tremulous voice : 

“ Dear, Brave Tyrolese : The news that peace has been 
concluded will soon reach you. The emperor has ordered me 
to confirm this intelligence to you. The emperor would have 
29 


444 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


done every thing to fulfil the wishes of the Tyrol, but, how- 
ever great an interest the emperor takes in the fate of the 
honest and excellent inhabitants of that province, he has had 
to submit to the stern necessity of making peace. I inform 
you of this by order of his majesty, with the addition that it 
is his majesty’s wish that the Tyrolese should keep quiet and 
not sacrifice themselves needlessly. 

“ The Archduke John.” 

“ H’m ! ” said the emperor, taking the paper from John’s 
hand and contemplating it attentively, “ it is written quite 
laconically indeed. But, no matter, you have complied with 
my order and done your duty.” 

“I thank your majesty for this acknowledgment. And 
now that I have done my duty, I request your majesty to be 
so gracious as to dismiss me from your service, and permit me 
to retire from the court into private life. I feel weak and ex- 
hausted, and need repose. Moreover, since we have peace 
now, my services are superfluous and may be easily dispensed 
with.” 

“ And you wish me to dismiss you very speedily, do you 
not ? ” asked the emperor, sarcastically. “ You would like to 
retire as quickly as possible into private life, that the whole 
world, and, above all, the dear Tyrolese, may perceive that the 
noble and beloved Archduke John is dissatisfied with the 
treaty, and has therefore withdrawn in anger from the court 
and service of his emperor ? I am sorry that I cannot afford 
you this satisfaction. You will remain in the service ; I do 
not accept your resignation, I do not permit you to retire into 
private life. You should devote your abilities to the state ; 
you are not allowed to withhold your services from it at this 
juncture.” 

“ Your majesty, I can no longer be useful to the state. I 
am exhausted to death. I repeat my request in the most ur- 
gent manner : dismiss me from the service, and permit me to 
retire into private life.” 

“ What ! ” cried Francis, vehemently. “ Your emperor 
has informed you of his will, and you dare to oppose it ? That 
is a violation of subordination, for which the emperor, as su- 


THE TREATY OF PEACE. 


445 


preme commander of his army, would punish his rebellious 
general rigorously, but for the fact that this general unfortu- 
nately is his brother. I repeat it, I do not accept your resigna- 
tion. You remain in the service ; I demand it as your gen- 
eral-in-chief ; I remind you of the oath of allegiance which 
you have sworn to me, your emperor and master.” 

“ Your majesty does right in remindiug me of the oath I 
took,” said the archduke, with freezing coldness. “ It is true, 
I swore that oath ; and as I am in the habit of keeping my 
word, and as it is disgraceful for any one to break his word 
and perjure himself, I shall fulfil my oath. Hence, I shall 
obey my emperor and general -in-chief, and not leave the serv- 
ice. But now I ask leave of your majesty to withdraw for to- 
day, if your majesty has nothing further to say to me.” 

“ Yes, I have something else to say to you, my dear broth- 
er,” said the emperor, smilingly. “ I will give you a proof of 
the great confidence which I repose in you, and with which I 
count upon your discretion. I will communicate to you a 
family secret which is known at present only to the Emperor 
Napoleon, Baron von Thugut, who acted as my agent on this 
occasion, and myself.” 

“ What ! ” asked John, in surprise ; “ the Emperor Napo- 
leon is aware of a family secret of your majesty ? ” 

“ As it concerns himself, he must be aware of it,” said the 
emperor. “ Napoleon intends to marry a second time.” 

“ A second time ? Has his first wife, the Empress Josephine, 
then, died suddenly ? ” 

“ No, she still lives, and is acting yet at this moment in 
Paris as the emperor’s legitimate consort. But Napoleon, im- 
mediately after his return from Germany, will annul this mar- 
riage, which was never consecrated by a priest ; he will divorce 
himself solemnly from his wife, and have then the right of 
marrying a second time. He requested my secret agent, Baron 
von Thugut, to ask me if I would consent to a marriage be- 
tween him and an archduchess of Austria. I replied in the 
affirmative, and this agreement forms one of the secret articles 
of the treaty of peace.” 

“ An archduchess of Austria is to become the consort of 
the French despot!” cried John, in dismay. “And who, 


446 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


your majesty, is to be sacrificed to the Minotaur ? Which of 
your sisters or cousins will you let him have ? ” 

“ None of my cousins or sisters,” said Francis, calmly, “ but 
my eldest daughter, Maria Louisa, is to become the consort of 
the Emperor Napoleon.” 

“ Maria Louisa ! ” cried John, with an expression of dismay. 
“ Maria Louisa ! ” 

And John staggered back several steps, as pale as a corpse, 
and grasped the back of the chair in order not to sink to the 
floor. 

Francis did not seem to perceive this. “ Yes, Maria Louisa 
will be Napoleon’s second consort,” he said. “ Every thing is 
settled already, and the marriage will take place next March. 
I think, brother, you may stand proxy for Napoleon on that 
occasion.” 

The archduke gave a start, and pressed his hands to his 
temples as if he were afraid lest this dreadful “ family secret ” 
would burst his head. 

“ Your majesty,” he said, in a tremulous and almost in- 
audible voice, “ I beg leave to withdraw.” 

Without waiting for a reply, the archduke turned and left 
the room with a tottering step, and leaning now and then 
against the wall in order not to sink to the floor. 

The emperor looked after him, smilingly. “ It seems Hu- 
delist was not mistaken,” he said. “My dear brother really 
loved Maria Louisa, and intended to become my son-in-law. 
What a nice idea ! But he must give it up now. He — Holy 
Virgin ! What noise is that in the anteroom ? What fell to 
the floor there ? ” 

The emperor stepped quickly to the door and opened it. 
“What is the matter here ? ” he asked. 

“ Your majesty,” exclaimed the footman, who hastened to 
him, “ the archduke fainted and fell to the floor, striking with 
his head against the corner of a chair, and wounding his fore- 
head, which is bleeding copiously.” 

“Well, I hope it is only a slight scratch,” said the em- 
peror, composedly. “ Carry the archduke to his bedchamber 
and send for my surgeon. I will afterward call on him my- 
self.” 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 


447 


Without taking any further notice of the archduke, the 
emperor returned into his cabinet and closed the door after 
him. 

“ He fainted,” said Francis, triumphantly. “ Henceforth 
he shall be entirely powerless. No one shall have any power 
here but myself. Ah, I have broken his pride, bent his will, 
and prostrated him at my feet. All my brothers shall bow to 
me, acknowledge me as their master, and obey me. Ah, I be- 
lieve I have played a bad trick on my brothers. The Arch- 
duke John will not become Duke of Tyrol ; the Grand-duke 
Ferdinand of Wiirtzburg will not be Emperor of Austria, for 
Napoleon will become my son-in-law, and he will take good 
care not to deprive his father-in-law of his throne. I alone 
am, and shall remain, Emperor of Austria.” 


CHAPTER XL. 

DREADFUL TIDINGS. 

All the Tyrolese were in the highest excitement and ter- 
ror. Pale faces were to be seen everywhere, and nothing was 
heard but the anxious query : “ Is it true ? Has our emperor 
really made peace with Bonaparte? Is it true that he has 
abandoned us entirely, and that we are to become again sub- 
jects of France and Bavaria ? ” 

And some of the timid and disheartened sighed : “ It is 
true ! We read so yesterday in the Innspruck Gazette , and 
the Viceroy of Italy has sent two messengers through the 
Puster valley to proclaim that the Emperors of Austria and 
France concluded a treaty of peace on the 14th of October, and 
that the Tyrolese are to lay down their arms and become again 
subjects of France and Bavaria.” 

“ It is not true ! ” cried the bold and courageous. “ The 
Emperor Francis has not made peace with Bonaparte ; and if 
he has, he has certainly not abandoned the Tyrol, but stipu- 
lated that we remain with Austria ; for he pledged us his 
word that we should, and the emperor will redeem his prom- 
ise.” 


448 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ It is not true ; there is no peace, and we are still at war 
with the Bavarians and French,” cried Joseph Speckbacher, 
‘‘and we will continue the war.” 

“ Yes, we will,” shouted his brave men. 

And as Speckbacher said, so did Andreas Hofer, so did Joa- 
chim Haspinger, so did Anthony Wallner, Jacob Sieberer, and 
all the intrepid commanders of the sharpshooters. 

Led by these heroic men, the Tyrolese formed again a large 
army, which took position on Mount Isel, and awaited there 
the Bavarians who were marching upon Innspruck under the 
command of the crown prince Louis. 

This time, however, the Tyrolese were not victorious ; the 
Bavarians expelled them from Innspruck, and, on the 29th of 
October, the crown prince Louis of Bavaria made his tri- 
umphal entry into the city, after a bloody battle of four days’ 
duration on Mount Isel and near the Judenstein. A part of 
the Tyrplese forces remained on Mount Isel, and another part 
hastened with unbroken courage to other regions, to meet the 
armies of the enemy and drive them beyond the frontiers of 
the country. 

Anthony Wallner returned with his sharpshooters to the 
Puster valley, and advanced thence against General Rusca, 
who was coming up from Carinthia with his corps ; he in- 
tended to defend the frontiers of his country, against him and 
General Baraguay d’Hilliers, who was also approaching with 
a strong force. 

Joseph Speckbacher marched his intrepid men to the 
Ziller valley and the Miihlbach Pass, where he united with 
Joachim Haspinger, and advanced with him upon the enemy. 

All were in good spirits, and no one believed in the dread- 
ful tidings which at first had frightened them all so much : no 
one believed that peace had been made. 

Andreas Hofer himself thought the news was false. He 
had remained courageous and undaunted in spite of the dis- 
astrous battle on Mount Isel, and he sent messengers through- 
out the country, calling upon all able-bodied men to take up 
arms and attack the enemy, who had invaded the Tyrol once 
more. He was still encamped with his army near Mount Isel, 
and had established his headquarters at Steinach. The crown 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 


449 


prince of Bavaria had sent to him hither two plenipotentiaries, 
who informed him that peace had really been concluded, and 
that the Tyrolese had no course left but submission. But An- 
dreas Hofer replied to these plenipotentiaries, shaking his head 
indignantly, “ That is a mean lie ; the Emperor Francis, our 
beloved master, will never abandon his loyal Tyrolese. He 
pledged us his word, and he will keep it. Your intention is 
to deceive us, but you cannot catch us by such stratagems. 
We believe in the emperor and the good God, and neither of 
them will ever abandon us ! ” 

And Andreas Hofer returned to his room with a calm smile 
and went to bed. 

In the dead of night, however, he was suddenly aroused 
from his sleep. Cajetan Doninger stood at his bedside and 
informed him that the intendant of the Puster valley, Baron 
von Worndle, had arrived with an envoy of the Emperor 
Francis, Baron von Lichtenthurn, and both wished urgently 
to see the commander-in-chief. 

“I will admit them,” said Hofer, rising hastily ; “God 
grant that they are the bearers of good news ! ” 

He dressed himself quickly and followed Doninger into the 
room, where he found the two envoys and several members of 
his suite. 

“ Now tell me, gentlemen, what news do you bring to us ?” 
asked Hofer, shaking hands with the two envoys. 

“No good news, commander-in-chief,” sighed Baron von 
Worndle, “but there is no use in complaining ; we must sub- 
mit patiently to what cannot be helped. The Emperor Fran- 
cis has made peace with France.” 

“ Do you sing in that strain too, Mr. Intendant ? ” asked 
Andreas, with a mournful smile. “ I shall never believe it 
until I see it in black and white, and until the emperor or the 
dear Archduke John informs me of it.” 

“ I bring it to you in black and white,” exclaimed Baron 
von Lichtenthurn, drawing a paper from his bosom and hand- 
ing it to Andreas. “ Here is a letter from the Archduke John, 
which I am to deliver to you.” 

Hofer hastily seized the paper, which contained that proc- 
lamation which the Archduke John had written at Totis, and 


450 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


read it again and again slowly and attentively. While he was 
doing so, his cheeks turned pale, his breath issued heavily and 
painfully from his breast, and the paper rustled in his trem- 
bling hands. 

“ It is impossible ! I cannot believe it ! ” he exclaimed, 
mournfully, gazing upon the paper. '‘The Archduke John 
did not write this. Just look at it, his seal is not affixed to the 
paper. Sir, how can you say that this letter is from the 
Archduke John ? Where is the seal ? Where is the ad- 
dress ? ” 

‘‘Well, it is no private letter,” said Baron von Lichten- 
thurn ; “ it is an open letter, a proclamation, which I am in- 
structed to show to everybody in the Tyrol. A proclamation 
cannot contain a seal and an address. But the Archduke 
John sent it ; he himself wrote every word of it.” 

“ I do not believe it ! ” cried Andreas, in a triumphant 
voice ; “ no, I do not believe it. You are a liar, and want to 
betray us. Look at him, my friends ; see how pale he turns, 
and how he trembles ! For I tell you he has a bad conscience. 
Bring me the Archduke John’s seal, and then I will believe 
that the paper is from him. But, as it is, I look upon it. as a 
cunning device got up by the enemy to entrap me. Arrest 
him ; he must confess all. I will not allow myself to be 
caught by cunning and treachery ! ” * 

He laid his heavy hand upon the shoulder of the baron, 
who sank to the floor, uttering a loud cry of distress, and fell 
into fearful convulsions. 

“ See ! ” cried Andreas, “ that is the punishment of Heaven ! 
The hand of God has struck him. He is a traitor, who in- 
tended to sell us to the French.” 

“ No, he is an honorable man, and has told you the truth,” 
said Baron von Worn die, gravely. “ Your violent accusation 
frightened him, and he fell into an epileptic fit. He is affected 
with that disease.”! 

He and some of the bystanders raised the unfortunate 
baron from the ground, and carried him into the adjoining 

* Andreas Hofer’s own words. — See Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. ii., 
p. 490. 
t Ibid. 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 


451 


room. He then returned to Andreas, who was walking up 
and down with a hasty step, and murmuring to himself, k ‘ I 
cannot believe it ! The Archduke John did not write it. 
His hand would have withered while writing it. He did not 
do it.” 

“Yes, Andreas, he did,” said Worndle, gravely ; “he was 
obliged to submit, as we all shall have to do. The Archduke 
John was obliged to yield to the will of his emperor as we 
shall have to do. The treaty of peace has been concluded. 
There is no doubt of it.” 

“ Lord God ! the treaty of peace has been concluded, and 
the emperor abandons us ? ” cried Andreas. 

“ The emperor, it seems, was unable to do any thing for the 
Tyrol,” said Worndle in a low voice. “He had to consent 
that the Tyrol should be restored to the French and Bava- 
rians.” 

“ But that is impossible ! ” cried Andreas, despairingly. 
“ He pledged us his word, his sacred word, that he would never 
consent to a peace that would detach the Tyrol from Austria. 
How can you now insult the dear emperor by saying that he 
has broken his word ? ” 

“ He has not broken his word, but he was unable to keep 
it. Look, commander-in-chief, I bring you another letter, to 
which, as you see, is affixed a large imperial seal, the seal of 
the Viceroy of Italy, who wrote the letter to you and all the 
Tyrolese.” 

“ Read it,” exclaimed Andreas, mournfully ; “ I cannot, my 
eyes are filled with tears. Read it to me, sir.” 

Worndle read as follows : 

“ To the people of the Tyrol : His majesty the Emperor of 
the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of 
the Rhine, my august father and sovereign, and his majesty, 
the Emperor of Austria, have made peace. Peace, therefore, 
reigns everywhere around you. You are the only people which 
does not enjoy its blessings. Seduced by foreign instigations, 
you took up arms against your government and overthrew 
it. The melancholy consequences of your seditious course 
have overtaken you. Terror reigns now in your towns, idle- 


452 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


ness and misery in your fields, and discord and disorder are 
to be found in all parts of the country. His majesty the em- 
peror and king, profoundly moved by your wretched condi- 
tion, and the proofs of repentance which some of you have 
manifested to him, has consented in the treaty to forgive your 
errors. I bring you peace and forgiveness, but I warn you of 
the fact, that you will be forgiven only if you return of your 
own accord to law and order, lay down your arms, and offer 
no longer any resistance whatever. As commander-in-chief 
of the armies surrounding you, I shall accept your submission 
or compel you to surrender. Commissioners will precede the 
armies ; they have been instructed to listen to whatever com- 
plaints and grievances you may wish to prefer. But, do not 
forget that these commissioners are authorized to listen to you 
only after you have laid down your arms. Tyrolese ! I promise 
that you shall obtain justice if your complaints and grievances 
are well-grounded. Headquarters at Villach, October 25, 1809. 

u Eugene Napoleon.” * 

Baron von Worndle had long since ceased to read, and still 
Andreas Hofer stood motionless, his hands folded on his breast, 
his head thrown back, and his eyes turned toward heaven. 
All gazed in respectful silence upon that tall, imposing form 
which seemed frozen by grief, and at that pale, mournful face, 
and those pious eyes, which seemed to implore consolation 
and salvation from heaven. 

At last Doninger ventured to put his hand softly on Hofer’s 
arm. u Awake, dear commander-in-chief,” he said in a low 
voice, “awake from your grief. These gentlemen here are 
waiting for an answer. Tell them what you think — ” 

“ What I think ? ” cried Hofer, giving a start and dropping 
his eyes slowly. “ What I think ? I think that we are poor, 
unhappy men, who have vainly risked our property and our 
blood, our liberty and our lives. Tell me, then, my friends, 
is it possible that the Emperor Francis, whom we all loved 
so dearly, and who pledged us his word so solemnly and often, 
has abandoned us after all ? Cajetan, do you believe it ? ” 

“ It is in black and white here,” said Doninger, in his ha- 
* Hormayr’s “ Andreas Hofer,” vol. i., p. 490. 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 


453 


bitual laconic style, pointing to the proclamation of the Arch- 
duke John. “ It is the archduke's handwriting ; I am famil- 
iar with it. You need no longer question its authenticity. 
Peace has been concluded. ” 

“ Peace has been concluded, the emperor has abandoned 
bis Tyrol, the Tyrol is lost ! ” cried Andreas, in a loud out- 
burst of grief ; and his long-restrained tears streamed from his 
eyes. Andreas was not ashamed of them. He threw himself 
on a chair, buried his face in his hands, and wept aloud. 

“ The Tyrol is lost,” he sobbed ; all my dear countrymen 
are in profound distress, and, moreover, in the utmost danger ; 
our beloved, beautiful country will have to shed rivers of blood, 
and nothing will be heard but wails and lamentations. For 
the emperor has abandoned us, the enemy will re enter the 
country, kill and burn, and wreak a terrible revenge upon our 
people !— Lord God,” he exclaimed all at once, “ can I not do 
any thing, then, for my dear country ? Tell me, my friends, 
can I not do any thing to avert this great calamity and save 
the lives of my dear countrymen ? ” 

“Yes, Andreas,” said Baron von Worndle, “you can do a 
great deal for the Tyrol and your countrymen. You can pre- 
vent bloodshed, soften the vindictiveness of the enemy, and 
induce him to spare the vanquished and wreak no revenge on 
the disarmed. Write a proclamation to the Tyrolese, admon- 
ish them to keep quiet, and order them to lay down their 
arms. Return yourself to your home, your inn, and you will 
have done on this mournful day more for the Tyrol than you 
have been able to do for it up to this time ; for you will there- 
by save the Tyrol from untold disasters, which will surely be- 
fall the country if you resume hostilities against enemies 
who are a hundred times superior to us. It is impossible for 
us to withstand them successfully. Their columns, well pro- 
vided with artillery, are moving upon all sides, and the 
whole Tyrol, as the Viceroy of Italy writes, is surrounded. 
We have no course left but submission. Order the Tyrolese, 
therefore, to submit, set a good example to them yourself, and 
the Tyrol is saved, and no more blood will be shed. 

“ No more blood will be shed ! ” repeated Andreas Hofer, joy- 
ously. “ Well, then, I see that you are right, and that we 


454 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


have no course left but submission. It is true, the emperor 
has abandoned us, but the good God will still stand by us ; 
and on seeing that we are humble and submissive, He will 
have mercy upon us. Sit down, Cajetan ; I will dictate a 
letter to you. To whom must I write on behalf of my beloved 
country ? ” 

“Write to General Drouet,” said Doninger. “It was he 
who wrote to you yesterday from Innspruck, informing you 
of the conclusion of peace, and promising that, if you and all 
the Tyrolese would submit, no harm should befall any one. 
You refused to answer his letter because you did not believe 
him.” 

“I did not believe him,” said Andreas, gently, “for I still 
believed in my emperor. But I see now that General Drouet 
was right ; I will, therefore, write to him, and recommend 
my country and the good and brave Tyrolese to his mercy. 
Take up the pen, Cajetan, and write.” 

And Andreas Hofer dictated in a low, tremulous voice, oft- 
en interrupted by sighs which issued from his breast like the 
groans of a dying man, a letter to General Drouet, in which 
he promised in touching words that the Tyrolese would lay 
down their arms, and said they would trust, for pardon and 
oblivion of the past, to the magnanimity of Napoleon, whose 
footsteps were guided by a superior power, which it was no 
longer permitted them to resist. 

“There,” he said, after convincing himself that Doninger 
had written exactly what he had dictated, “ now give me the 
pen, Cajetan. I will sign it myself.” 

He bent over the table, and wrote quickly what he had so 
often written under his decrees, “ Andreas Hofer, commander- 
in-chief of the Tyrol.” 

But then he gave a start, and contemplated his signature 
long and musingly. Heaving a profound sigh, and casting a 
mournful glance toward heaven, he took up the pen a second 
time, and added the word “ late,” slowly and with a trembling 
hand, to his title “commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.” * 

“Now come, Cajetan,” he exclaimed, throwing down the 
pen, as if it was a viper which had wounded him, “ come, 

* “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 173. 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 


455 


Cajetan. I will go to my sharpshooters and exhort them to 
disband, and afterward I will return with you to my inn in 
the Passeyr valley, in order to set a good example to all, and 
show them how to submit quietly and patiently.” 

And Andreas Hofer acted accordingly. He ordered his 
men to disband, and after they had obeyed his order in sullen 
silence, he himself, accompanied only by his faithful Cajetan 
Doninger, went back to his home. 

But neither the joyous welcome, with which his wife, faith- 
ful Anna Gertrude, received him, nor the jubilant shouts of 
his children, could arouse Andreas Hofer from his mournful 
brooding, or bring a smile to his lips. He did not rejoice at 
his return to his dear ones ; he paid no attention to his 
business, he did not go to the stables and barns as he used 
to do ; but he sat hanging his head, his hands folded on his 
knees, staring at the floor, and sighing from time to time, 
“ My poor country ! How could the emperor abandon 
us?” 

Only when Cajetan Doninger was not with him, Andreas 
Hofer became uneasy ; he glanced around anxiously and 
called for his secretary ; when the latter hastened to him, he 
held out his hand and said in a low, tremulous voice, “ Caje- 
tan, do not leave me. I always think I may have something 
to write yet, and it seems to me as though what I dictated to 
you at Steinach, declaring my readiness to submit, were not 
the last of my official papers. Something else must come yet, 
— yes, something else. I know it, for this state of affairs can- 
not last. Therefore, Cajetan, stay with me that you may be 
ready and able to write when the hour has come.” 

Cajetan stayed with him ; both sat together in silence, and 
absorbed in their gloomy reflections, and the days passed 
slowly and mournfully. 

It was on the afternoon of the fifth day, and Andreas Hofer 
sat in silence, as usual, in the gloomy room. Every thing was 
still without. All at once this profound silence was broken 
by a hum of many voices and loud noise. 

Hofer looked up and listened. “ That sounds as if we were 
still at war, and as if my sharpshooters were marching up,” 
he said. 


456 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


“ Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol ! ” 
shouted loud voices under the windows. 

Hofer jumped up. “Who calls me?” he shouted, in a 
powerful voice. 

At this moment the door was thrown open violently, and 
four mountaineers, armed with their rifles, came in. Hofer 
saw through the open door that the yard in front of the house 
was thronged with peasants, and all looked with flashing 
eyes through the door at Hofer ; and they shouted now, “ An- 
dreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, come with us, 
come ! ” 

Andreas Hofer seemed all at once animated by new life ; 
his eyes shot fire, his form was drawn up to its full height, 
and his head rose again proudly between his powerful shoul- 
ders. 

“ What do you want of me, my dear countrymen ? ” he 
asked, going to meet them. 

One of the four sharpshooters who had entered the room 
now came forward, and placed himself with a defiant face in 
front of Hofer. 

“We want you,” he said. “Three thousand French sol- 
diers are marching across the Janfen. There is great excite- 
ment in the Puster valley, and some fighting has taken place. 
Anthony Wallner has driven the Bavarians long since across 
the frontier, and Speckbacher and the Capuchin have marched 
to the Muhlbach Pass in order to attack Rusca. And why are 
we to keep quiet, then ? Why are we to allow the French to 
enter the Passeyr valley ? ” 

“We will not allow them to do it ! ” shouted the peasants 
outside. “ No, we will not allow the French to enter the Pas- 
seyr valley.” 

“ You hear it, commander-in- chief,” said the first speaker. 
“We are all ready and determined. Now say what we 
are to do with the French. Will you do any thing or 
not ? ” 

“ Yes, will you do any thing or not ? ” repeated the peas- 
ants, penetrating with furious gestures into the room. 

“ If you do not want to do any thing,” cried the peasant, 
raising his rifle menacingly, “ my rifle is loaded for you as 


DREADFUL TIDINGS. 457 

well as for any Frenchman. You commenced the insurrec- 
tion, now put it through.” * 

“ But you know, countrymen, that I cannot ! ” cried Hofer. 
“ The emperor has made peace with Bonaparte and abandoned 
us. What course have we left but that of submission ? We 
must yield, or the Tyrol will be ruined entirely.” 

“ But we do not want to submit,” shouted the peasants, 
furiously. “ And the whole country is of our opinion ; no 
one is willing to submit. We will die rather than submit.” 

“ Issue another proclamation calling out the able-bodied 
men ! ” said the first speaker. 

“ Yes, issue another proclamation, commander-in-chief,” 
shouted the crowd. “We will fight, we must fight ! ” 

“ And you shall and must be our leader ! ” exclaimed the 
peasant, laying his heavy hand on Hofer’s shoulder. “We 
will compel you to go with us or kill you as a traitor. Issue 
another proclamation. We men are still the same as before, 
and so is our cause ; now you must likewise be the same An- 
dreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol !” 

“ Yes, exclaimed Andreas, with a radiant face, drawing a 
deep breath, as if relieved from an oppressive burden, “ yes, I 
will be the same as before. This state of affairs cannot con- 
tinue. We must fight ; we had better die than lead such a 
life. Go, Doninger, go ; write a proclamation ! ” 

“Hurrah ! Long live our commander-in-chief,” shouted 
the peasants, triumphantly ; “ long live our dear faithful An- 
dreas Hofer ! ” 

“I thank you, my dear countrymen,” said Andreas ; “I 
am your leader now, and we will fight again. But do not 
hold me responsible for the events of the future. You must 
never forget that you compelled me to resume war. I in- 
tended to submit humbly and patiently, but you would not 
allow me to do so, and dragged me forcibly from my retire- 
ment. The bloody struggle will commence again — God grant 
us protection, and further victories ! We are not going to 
fight from motives of pride and arrogance, but only for the 
sake of our country — because we want to remain Germans, 

* Loritza, “ Bilder und Erinnerungen aus Tyrol’s Freiheitskainpfen von 
1809,” p. 14. 


458 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


and do not want to become French subjects, and because we 
want to keep our God, our liberty, and our constitution. 
Amen ! ” 


CHAPTER XLI. 

BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 

War was now resumed at all points ; but the forces brought 
from all sides against the Tyrol were so immense that no hope 
remained to the inhabitants but by deeds of glory to throw a 
last radiance around their fall. The Tyrolese fought with 
desperate valor, but their heroism was unavailing. The supe- 
rior forces of the enemy were everywhere victorious. The 
artillery of the Bavarians and French thinned the ranks of the 
mountaineers from day to day ; whole ranks of the Tyrolese 
being mowed down by the balls of the enemy. They fled 
panic-struck into the mountains. The victorious invaders 
penetrated farther and farther into the interior of the country ; 
burning towns and villages marked the route which they fol- 
lowed, and wails and lamentations rent the air wherever they 
made their appearance. 

Before the middle of December all resistance had been 
overpowered. The enemy stalked in a merciless manner over 
the gory, reeking, groaning Tyrol, and pursued relentlessly all 
who had dared to rise against him. He had promised ob- 
livion and forgiveness in return for peaceful submission ; but 
as the Tyrolese had not submitted, but continued the struggle, 
the enemy now threatened to revenge himself and punish the 
vanquished. 

A furious chase now commenced. Every one who had 
been seized with arms in hand was shot ; every one who con- 
cealed one of the pursued patriots in his house was executed, 
and his house was burned down. 

The leaders of the Tyrolese had fled into the mountains, 
but the French generals promised large rewards for the heads 
of the most influential patriots ; and the soldiers traversed the 
country, impelled by thirst for revenge and gain, spying 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 


459 


everywhere for the outlawed mountaineers, and ascending 
even to the snow-clad summits of the mountains in order to 
obtain the large rewards. As yet, however, they had not suc- 
ceeded in seizing one of the pursued chiefs. The French gen- 
erals had vainly promised a reward of ten thousand florins 
for the apprehension of Andreas Hofer, and rewards of five 
thousand florins for the seizure of Joseph Spechbacher, An- 
thony Wallner, and Joachim Haspinger. They had disap- 
peared, and the patrols and soldiers, who were hunting for them, 
had not yet been able to discover the hiding-place of any of 
the four great chiefs of the insurrection. The mountains, 
those natural fortresses of the Tyrol, protected the outlawed 
commanders ; and in the Alpine huts, amidst the chamois 
and vultures, which alone saw and knew their hiding-places, 
there were no traitors. 

Retiring to his native valley, Andreas Hofer long eluded 
the search of the victors. His place of concealment was a sol- 
itary Alpine hut, four leagues distant from his home, in gen- 
eral inaccessible from the snow which surrounded it. Love 
had accompanied Andreas to this inhospitable spot. His wife 
and his son John were with him, and so was Cajetan Donin- 
ger, his faithful secretary. Love had accompanied him to the 
Alpine hut of his friend Pfandler ; love watched over him in 
the valley below. Many peasants there were well aware of 
Hofer’s place of concealment ; but no one betrayed him, no 
one was tempted by the reward of ten thousand florins which 
Paraguay d’Hilliers, the French general, offered for Hofer’s 
apprehension. They often saw Pfandlers servants, loaded 
with all sorts of provisions, wending their way slowly and 
painfully up the snow-clad Alp ; but they averted their heads, 
as though they did not want to see anything, and prayed God 
in a low tone to protect the messengers who conveyed food to 
Hofer and his dear ones. The peasants in the valley forbore 
carefully to speak among each other of what they knew ; only 
they treated Pfandler with reverential tenderness, shook 
hands with him quietly, and whispered, “ God bless you and 
him ! ” At times, on a clear winter day, when thin smoke 
curled up suddenly from the Alp, the peasants in the valley 
looked up sighingly and whispered compassionately, “ They 
30 


460 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


have built a fire in their hut. The cold is so severe. God 
bless them ! ” But whenever one whom they did not trust 
stepped up to them, wondering at the smoke, and saying that 
somebody was concealed up there, and had built a fire in or- 
der not to freeze to death, the others laughed at him, and said 
there was no smoke at all, but only snow blown up by the 
storm. 

One day, however, a stranger arrived in the valley, and * 
asked whisperingly for Andreas Hofer, to whom, he said, he 
would bring assistance and safety. At first no one replied to 
him ; but he showed them a paper, bearing the name and seal 
of the Archduke John, and containing the following words, 
written by the prince himself : “ Help my messenger to find 
Andreas Hofer, and bring him assistance and safety.” 

On reading this, the peasants distrusted him no longer. 
They glanced furtively up to the Schneeberg, pointed to the 
two wanderers, loaded with baskets, who were toiling up the 
mountain through the snow, and whispered almost inaudibly, 

“ Follow them ! ” 

The messenger did so. He climbed after the two servants, 
and ascended with them the inhospitable, dreary, and deserted 
heights. At length he arrived in front of the Alpine hut ; he 
knocked at the door, and asked admittance in the name of God 
and the Archduke John. 

The door opened immediately, and on the threshold ap- 
peared Hofer’s tall, bearded form, as erect and vigorous as it 
had been in the days of his splendor, and his mild, honest eye 
greeted the new-comer. 

“ He who comes in the name of God and the Archduke 
John will not deceive me,” said Andreas, kindly. “ Come in, 
therefore ; for you must have good intentions toward me, in- 
asmuch as the severe cold did not deter you from coming up 
to me.” 

“ Indeed I have good intentions toward you,” said the mes- 
senger. “ Do you not know me, then, Andy ? I am Anthony 
Steeger, the Archduke John’s gunsmith.” 

“ Oh, yes, now I know you 1 ” exclaimed Andreas, joyfully. 

“ I saw you in Vienna at the time we were there to devise 
plans for the deliverance of the Tyrol. Well, come in, An- 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 


461 


thony Steeger ; come in to my wife, my son, and my secre- 
tary.” 

He conducted Anthony Steeger into the room, where the 
three greeted him, and made room for him in front of the 
hearth, on which large billets of wood were burning. 

Anthony Steeger looked around in this wretched room, 
which contained nothing but a few rickety wooden chairs, and 
a rough-hewn pine table, and the walls and windows of which 
were protected from the cold by thick linings of hay and 
straw. 

“ Yes, you may well look around in my palace,” said An- 
dreas, smilingly ; “ it is not very gorgeous here, but the good 
God is with us, and He will help us to get along.” 

“ And the Archduke John will help you also,” said An- 
thony Steeger. “ Listen to me, Andreas. The archduke sends 
me to you. He sends you his greetings, and entreats you to 
come with your family to him and stay with him all your life 
long, or, if you should not like to do that, at least until you 
can live again safely in the Tyrol. The archduke has already 
fitted up a house for you in a village which belongs to him ; 
you shall live there with your whole family as the beloved 
and honored guests of the archduke. He implores you to ac- 
cept his invitation. I have with me every thing that is neces- 
sary for your flight, Andy. The archduke has given me 
money, a passport for you and your family, and safeguards is- 
sued by the French generals. I am familiar with the roads 
and by-paths in this vicinity, and will convey you safely 
through the mountains. The archduke has thought of every 
thing and provided for every thing.” 

“ It is very kind in the dear Archduke John not to have 
forgotten me,” said Andreas, deeply moved ; “ it is honest and 
faithful that he should like to take care of me and reward my 
love. And it is very kind in you, too, Anthony Steeger, to 
have acted in this spirit of self-denial. You have come from 
a great distance to save us, and are not afraid of venturing 
with us upon this most dangerous flight.” 

“ And you accept my offer, Andy, and consent to accom- 
pany me, do you not ? ” 

“ And what of them ? ” asked Andreas, casting a tender 


462 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


glance on his wife and his son. “ The route across the gla- 
ciers is impassable for a woman and a child.” 

“ First save yourself, my Andy,” exclaimed Anna Ger- 
trude ; “ save yourself for us and the country. After you are 
gone and have arrived at a place of safety, the enemy will 
hardly trouble us any more, and I will follow you then with 
the children.” 

“ You need not be anxious, so far as your wife and children 
are concerned,” said Doninger. “ I will not leave them, but 
bring them to you.” 

“ Pray do not hesitate, Andy,” said Anthony Steeger, ur- 
gently. “ The archduke implores you not to grieve him by 
rejecting his offer, but to relieve his conscience from the heavy 
debt which he has hitherto been unable to discharge to the 
Tyrol. You shall escape for his sake and for the good of the 
fatherland, and save your life for better times, which will 
surely dawn upon the Tyrol. Do it, Andreas. Let us go to 
work immediately. See, I have with me all that you need, 
and wear two suits of clothes ; one is destined for you, and 
you will put it on. And here is the razor, with which we 
shall shave off your beard ; and when it is gone, and you have 
put on the new clothes, no one will scent the Barbone in the 
man with a foreign dress and a smooth chin. Come, now, 
Andy, and do not hesitate.” 

“ I am to make quite another man of myself,” said Andreas, 
shaking his head, “ merely to save my miserable life ? I am 
to deny my dear Passeyr ? I am to shave off my beard, which 
I have worn so long in an honorable manner, and by which 
every one knows me throughout the Tyrol ? No, Anthony 
Steeger, I will never do that ! ” 

“ If you do not, Andreas, you are lost,” said Anthony Stee- 
ger. “ I am afraid the French are already on your track. A 
peasant said he had seen you up here the other day.” 

“Yes, it was Raffel. He came up here to look for his 
cow, and met me here. But I gave him money not to be- 
tray my secret, and he promised me solemnly that he would 
not.” 

“ He must have violated his pledge already, Andy ; for he 
told Donay, the priest, about it, and the latter boasted pub- 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 433 

licly yesterday that he was aware of Andreas Hofer’s place of 
concealment. ” 

“ It is true, Donay is a bad and mean man,” said Andreas 
Hofer, musingly ; “ but I do not believe be will be so mean as 
to betray me, whom be always called his best commander-in- 
chief and dearest friend.” 

“ He is mean enough to do it,” murmured Doninger. “ The 
magnitude of the price set on your head will induce him to be- 
tray bis benefactor.” 

“ Andy,” cried Anna Gertrude, bursting into tears, and 
clinging to her husband, u save yourself ! If you love me and 
the children, save yourself ; cut off your beard, put on the 
new suit of clothes, and escape from your bloodthirsty ene- 
mies. Save yourself, for the sake of your wife and your 
poor children ! ” 

“ I cannot,” said Andreas, mournfully, embracing his w T ife 
tenderly ; “ no, so help me God, I cannot leave my dear, un- 
happy country. I know full well that I shall not avert any 
calamities from the Tyrol by staying here, hut I will at least 
share its misfortunes. I was unable to save my native 
country ; I will therefore suffer with it. A good captain does 
not desert his shipwrecked vessel, but dies with it ; and thus 
I will not desert my country either, but die with it. I will do 
all I can to save myself, but I will not leave the Tyrol ; I will 
not cut off my heard nor put on other clothes. I will not 
mask and disguise myself, but will remain in adversity what 
I was in the days of prosperity, Andreas Hofer, the Barbone. 
State that to the dear archduke, Anthony Steeger, and tell him 
also that I am very grateful to him for wishing to save me in 
his way, and that I hope he will not be angry with me for 
being unable to accept his kind offer, or for wishing to live 
and die with my country. If he wishes to do any thing for 
me, let him go to the Emperor Francis, and tell him I am 
well aware that he himself would never have forgotten us, but 
that his bad ministers did it all, and betrayed the poor Tyrol 
so perfidiously. Let him beseech the emperor to intercede 
vigorously in behalf of the Tyrol and of myself, but not to 
separate me from the Tyrol.” * 

* “ Gallery of Heroes ; Andreas Hofer,” p. 188. 


464 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


11 Andreas,” cried his wife, despairingly, “ you are lost — I 
feel it here in my heart— you are lost, if you do not flee with 
Steeger this very night.” 

“ And I feel it here in my heart that I must stay here, even 
though I should he lost,” said Andreas, firmly. “ Well, you 
must weep no more, Anna Gertrude ; and you, Anthony Stee- 
ger, accept my cordial thanks for your kind and generous in- 
tentions.” 

“ Then you have made up your mind, Andy, not to go with 
me?” 

“ I have, Anthony. But if you will do me a great favor, 
take my wife and my boy with you, for the enemy threatens 
them as well as me. Take them with you, Anthony, convey 
them across the mountains, and conduct them to the Archduke 
John.” 

<l It is impossible,” said Anthony Steeger, mournfully, “ the 
roads are so full of snow that they are utterly impassable for 
women and children.” 

“ And you would advise me to leave them here ? ” asked 
Andreas Hofer, reproachfully. “ I am to leave here my most 
precious treasures merely to save my miserable life ? No, my 
friend, I shall stay here with my wife and child and Doninger 
there. But you must go now and save yourself ; for, if the 
enemy should really come, it would be bad for you to be found 
here.” 

“ I will go, Andy, not to save myself, however, but to con- 
vey your message speedily to the archduke, that he may save 
you in another way by the emperor’s intercession. In the 
valley I shall tell every one that you are no longer in this Al- 
pine hut, but have already succeeded in escaping to Vienna, 
so that it will be unnecessary for the enemy to pursue you 
any longer. ” 

“ Bo so, Anthony Steeger ; and if they believe you, I shall 
be glad of it. But go now ; I am anxious on your account, 
and think something might happen to you here. Go, my dear 
friend.” 

He drew Steeger to the door, and, not permitting him to 
take a long leave of the others, conducted him out of the hut, 
and then embraced him tenderly. “ Now listen to what I wish 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 


465 


to tell you,” he whispered, in a low voice. “ I must stay here 
to save my wife and my boy. The two cannot flee now, as 
you yourself admitted to me. If I should escape now, and 
leave them here, the enemy would spy out their place of con- 
cealment and revenge himself upon them ; he would torture 
and kill them in his rage at not having captured me. But if 
I stay, and the French should find me, I believe they would 
release my wife and my son and do no harm to them ; for 
then they would have got me, and they are entirely innocent. 
Go, then, my dear friend ; tell the archduke all I have said to 
you, and greet him a thousand times from his faithful Andy. 
Now farewell, and go with God’s blessing ! ” 

He nodded once more kindly to Anthony Steeger, and re- 
turned quickly into the Alpine hut. He found his wife in 
tears ; little John, her son, was kneeling before her, with his 
head against his mother’s knees, and weeping also. Doninger 
stood at the hearth and stared into the fire. 

Andreas Hofer went to him and laid his hand gently on 
his shoulder. “ Cajetan,” he asked, mildly, “ did I do right ? ” 
“ Yes, commander-in-chief, you did,” said Doninger, sol- 
emnly. 

“ I want to tell you something more, Cajetan,” added An- 
dreas. “ What Steeger said about Raffel and Donay may be 
true ; the French may have discovered my place of conceal- 
ment, and may come up here. Hence, dear Cajetan, you must 
leave me and escape, lest they should seize you, too.” 

“ A good servant leaves his master no more than a captain 
deserts his shipwrecked vessel,” said Doninger, firmly. “You 
refuse to leave your native country in its adversity because 
you love it. I refuse, likewise, to leave you in the days of 
your adversity, because I love you. I shall stay here.” 

Andreas Hofer encircled Doninger with his arms and fold- 
ed him tenderly to his heart. “ Stay with me, then, my Caje- 
tan,” he said, affectionately. “ God knows my heart would 
have grieved had you consented to leave me. And now, Anna 
Gertrude, do not weep any longer. Make haste, dear wife, 
pack up all your things, and let us go early to bed. For early 
in the morning we will leave this hut. I know another Al- 
pine hut at no great distance from here ; I believe we will be 


466 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


able to get thither, and we will take with us as many things 
as we can carry. Make haste, therefore, dear Anna Ger- 
trude ! ” 

Anna Gertrude dried her tears, and, flushed with new hope, 
packed up their things in four small bundles, so that each 
might carry one according to his strength. 

Night came at last — the last night which they were to pass 
at this hut. At the break of day they were to set out for their 
new place of concealment. 

They went to bed at an early hour. Andreas Hofer had sent 
the two servants down to Brandach, where they were to get 
some articles necessary for the trip on the morrow. Hofer 
and his wife slept in the room below. Cajetan Doninger and 
little John Hofer lay in the small hay-loft, to which a ladder 
led up from the room. 

But Doninger did not sleep. He thought all the while of 
Raffel, who had come up there three days ago and seen An- 
dreas ; he thought of Don ay, the priest, to whom Raff el had 
betrayed Hofer’s place of concealment. He knew that Donay, 
who, up to the days of adversity, had always professed to be 
Hofer’s friend and an extreme partisan of the insurrection, 
had suddenly, since the enemy had reoccupied the Tyrol, 
changed his colors, become a preacher of peace and submission, 
and an ardent adherent of the French, with whose officers he 
held a great deal of intercourse. He knew Donay’s avaricious 
and treacherous character, and, therefore, he trembled for An- 
dreas Hofer’s safety. He lay uneasy and full of anxiety on 
his couch, listening all the while for suspicious sounds. But 
nothing was heard but the storm howling and whistling about 
the hut, and the regular respirations of the two sleepers in the 
room below. 

Hour passed after hour ; all remained silent, and Doninger 
felt somewhat relieved, for day would soon dawn, when the 
hour of flight would be at hand. Doninger dropped his head 
slowly on the hay to sleep an hour and invigorate himself for 
to-morrow’s trip. However, no sooner had he done so than 
he gave a start, lifted up his head again, and listened. He had 
heard a sound outside. The sound, as it were, of many ap- 
proaching footsteps which creaked on the frozen snow. 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 


467 


Doninger crept cautiously to the small hole in the roof and 
looked out. The moon shed her pale light on the white snow- 
field around the hut, and Doninger could see and recognize 
every thing. He saw a detachment of soldiers coming up yon- 
der. He saw them halt at a short distance from the hut. He 
then saw two forms approaching the hut. Now they stood 
still in front of it. The moon shone brightly into the face of 
one of them ; Doninger recognized him him at once ; it was 
Raffel, the betrayer. The other was a French officer. The 
latter stood still at a distance of some steps from the hut, but 
Raffel went close up to the door, applied his ear to it and 
listened. 

“ They are here,” he then said to the officer in a low voice. 
The officer immediately lifted up his arm and shouted u For- 
ward ! ” The soldiers advanced and surrounded the hut. All 
was lost ! 

Doninger awakened the sleeping boy. “ John,” he said 
in a low voice, “ let us go down to father. The French have 
come.” 

The boy uttered a loud cry. “ The French have come ! ” 
he exclaimed, despairingly ; “ they want to arrest my fa- 
ther !” 

“ Come,” said Doninger, imperatively ; and he took the 
boy in his arms, and hastened with him down the ladder into 
the room below. 

“ Awake,” he said, bending over Andreas Hofer ; “ the ene- 
my has come.” 

Andreas started up and stared incredulously at Doninger ; 
but his wife rose, uttering low lamentations, and dressed her- 
self hurriedly. 

“ Let us flee,” she murmured ; “quick, quick, let us escape 
by the back door.” 

“ The hut is surrounded,” said Doninger, assisting Hofer in 
dressing. “We can no longer flee.” 

“ Is that true ? ” asked Andreas, calmly. 

“It is, commander-in-chief.” 

“ Well, then, as it pleases God,” said Hofer, crossing him- 
self ; and, traversing the room quickly, he opened the front 
door. 


468 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


The soldiers stood four files deep, shouldering their mus- 
kets. Andreas advanced fearlessly close up to the enemy. 

“ Is there one of you, gentlemen, who speaks German ? ” he 
asked, with entire calmness. 

“ I do,” said the officer, stepping rapidly forward. 

Andreas greeted him with a proud nod of the head. 
“ Well, then,” he said, “ I am Andreas Hofer, late commander- 
in-chief of the Tyrolese. I ask for quarter and good treat- 
ment.” 

“ I cannot promise any thing to a rebel,” replied the officer, 
contem ptuously . 

“ But you have come to seize me, and none but me,” con- 
tinued Andreas, in a gentle voice. “Well, then, here I am ; 
do with me as you please. But I ask you to have mercy upon 
my wife and my son, and this young man, for they are en- 
tirely innocent.”* 

The officer made no reply. He signed to his soldiers, and 
ordered them to hind Andreas Hofer and the others in such 
a manner as to render it utterly impossible for them to es- 
cape. 

The soldiers rushed furiously upon the defenseless captives, 
tied their hands on their hacks, and wound the ropes round 
their necks, so that they could drag them forward like oxen. 
And after binding Andreas Hofer, so that they were no longer 
afraid of his strong arms, they surrounded him with scornful 
laughter, tore handfuls of hair from his beard, and said they 
would keep them “as souvenirs of General Barbone.” Blood 
streamed from his lacerated face, but the cold froze it and 
transformed the gory beard into a blood-red icicle, which 
pricked the numerous wounds in his chin every moment, and 
inflicted intense pain. 

Andreas did not complain ; he looked only at his wife, his 
son, and his friend, who, bound like himself, scantily dressed 
and barefooted like himself, were dragged down the moun- 
tain, which was covered with snow and ice, into the plain be- 
low. His hands, into which the rope was cutting all the while, 
were very sore ; his bare feet swelled from walking on the 
snow and were torn by the icicles. Still Andreas did not com- 
* Andreas Hofer’s own words. — See “ Gallery of Heroes.” 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF IIOFER. 


469 


plain ; but on bearing the low wails of bis son, on seeing that 
every footstep of his wife, who was dragged along before him, 
left a bloody spot in the snow, be burst into loud sobs, and two 
tears rolled slowly down bis cheeks into bis beard, where they 
froze in the blood. 

The dreadful march was continued to Meran. French gen- 
erals, staff-officers, and soldiers awaited the tottering prisoners 
at the gate. The soldiers greeted the captured “ bandit chief 
Barbone ” with loud cheers and scornful laughter ; and An- 
dreas Hofer and the others entered the city, preceded by a 
band which played a ringing march. The French were over- 
joyed, but the citizens stood in front of their houses, and, re- 
gardless of the presence of their cruel enemies, greeted Andreas 
Hofer with tears and loud lamentations. 

The journey was continued on the following day to Bot- 
zen ; only the prisoners, whose bleeding and lacerated feet 
refused to carry them any longer, had been laid on a com- 
mon farm- wagon, and some clothing had been thrown over 
them. 

At Botzen Andreas Hofer received cheering news. A noble 
German lady, the wife of Baron de Giovanelli, had dared to 
implore the French General Baraguay d’Hilliers to have 
mercy on Hofer’s unfortunate and innocent family ; to save 
them, she had knelt down before the general and besought 
him with heart-rending lamentations. Baraguay d’Hilliers 
had been unable to withstand her supplications, and consented 
to release those for whom she pleaded. 

“ The viceroy’s orders,” he said, “ are only to the effect that 
the Sandwirth Hofer be conveyed to Mantua. I yield to your 
prayers, therefore, madame ; his companions shall be released, 
and shall not be molested again. His wife may return with 
her son to her home, and carry on the inn as heretofore ; but 
she must be cautious and not expose herself to new dangers 
by imprudent words. The young man may go wherever he 
pleases.” 

This was the cheering intelligence which Andreas Hofer 
received on the third day of his captivity in the jail where he 
and his dear ones lay on wet straw. 

“See, Cajetan,” he exclaimed, joyfully, “it turns out just 


470 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


as I said. My seizure releases my wife and my child, and re- 
lieves them from all dangers.” 

“ But I will not leave you,” cried Anna Gertrude, embrac- 
ing him tenderly ; “I will stay and die with you.” 

“ And is our son yonder to die too ? ” asked Andreas, point- 
ing to his boy. “ And our three little girls, are they to become 
entirely helpless, and have neither father nor mother to pro- 
tect them ? Anna Gertrude, you must be father and mother 
to them ; you must not leave them and our boy. You must 
preserve their small inheritance to them, bring them up in the 
fear of the Lord, and teach them, also, to love their poor father 
and honor his memory.” 

“ Husband, dear husband, I cannot leave you, I cannot ! ” 
sobbed the poor woman. “ Do not thrust me from your heart, 
do not leave me behind, all alone and without consolation.” 

Andreas lifted his arm and pointed up to heaven. “ There 
is our Consoler,” he said ; “ He will help you. Confide in 
Him, Anna Gertrude. Go to your children, be father and 
mother to them, and love them in my and your name.” 

At this moment the door of the prison opened, and the 
jailer, followed by soldiers, came in. 

“ Andreas Hofer,” said the jailer, imperatively, “ come ! 
The wagon which is to convey you to Mantua is in readiness. 
As for you others, begone ; you have no longer any busi- 
ness here. Come, Andreas Hofer, come ! ” 

“ Let me first bless my wife and my son, my friend,” said 
Hofer, and, laying his hands on the heads of his wife and 
child, he blessed them in a loud voice, and commended them 
to the protection of the Lord. Doninger knelt behind him, 
and Andreas Hofer laid his hand on his head also, blessed him, 
and thanked him for his love and fidelity. 

“Come now, come !” cried the soldiers ; and they seized 
him with rude violence and dragged him forward. 

Anna Gertrude burst into loud lamentations in her grief 
and despair, and clung to Hofer in the anguish of her love. 

“ Do not lament any longer,” said Andreas, mildly ; “bring 
your grief as an offering to the crucified Redeemer, and show 
now that you are Hofer's wife. Farewell, love ! Kiss our 
children ! Forward now ! ” 


BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 


471 


And he led the way with a rapid step. Anna Gertrude, 
pale as a corpse, trembling and tottering, seized her son’s hand 
and rushed after her husband. Cajetan Doninger followed 
them resolutely and with a defiant expression of countenance. 

At the street-door stood the farm-wagon, covered with 
straw, which was to convey Andreas Hofer to Mantua. Ten 
soldiers with loaded muskets stood upon it, and a crowd of sol- 
diers surrounded it. 

Andreas Hofer walked calmly and with head erect through 
their ranks to the wagon. His wife had knelt down ; she 
wept and sobbed bitterly, and embraced convulsively her son, 
who gazed in dismay at his father. 

Andreas Hofer had now ascended the wagon. The soldiers 
stepped back, and the driver whipped up the horses. 

Suddenly, Cajetan Doninger elbowed his way to the wagon, 
and signed to the driver to stop. 

“ I shall accompany Hofer,” he said, grasping the side-rail- 
ing of the wagon in order to mount it. 

“No, no,” cried the jailer, hastening to him. “You are 
mistaken, you are free.” 

Doninger, still clinging to the railing of the wagon, turned 
to him. “ What said the general’s order ? ” he asked. 

“ It said, ‘ the young man is free, and can go wherever he 
pleases.’ ” 

“ Well, then,” said Doninger, mounting the wagon, quickly, 
“ the young man will accompany Andreas Hofer to Mantua. 
Forward, driver, forward ! ” 

The driver whipped up the horses, and the wagon started 
for Mantua.* 

* Donay, the priest who betrayed Andreas Hofer, according to the general 
belief of the Tyrolese, was soon afterwards appointed imperial chaplain at the 
chapel of Loretto, by a special decree of the Emperor Napoleon, and received, 
besides, large donations in lands and money— See Hormayr’s “Anftreas 
Hofer,” vol. ii., p. 507. — The peasant Francis Joseph Raffel, who had betrayed 
Hofer’s place of concealment to Donay, was afterward called Judas Iscariot 
throughout the Tyrol. Every one turned his back upon him with the ut- 
most horror, and the men of the Passeyr valley told him they would shoot 
him if he did not hang himself within a week. Raffel fled in great dismay 
to Bavaria, where the government gave him a small office in the revenue de- 
partment. — See u Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 191. 


472 


ANDREAS IIOFER. 


CHAPTER XLII. 

THE WARNING. 

The French hunted throughout the Tyrol for the unfor- 
tunate men who had hitherto been the heroes of the father- 
land, but who, since their cause had succumbed, were called 
rebels and traitors. The soldiers who were in search of this 
noble game, for which large rewards were offered to them, had 
already succeeded in arresting one of the heroes of the Tyrol ; 
Peter Mayer had fallen into their hands, and, having been 
tried by a military commission at Botzen, was shot. But they 
had been unable as yet to discover the hiding-places of the 
other insurgent leaders, despite the large prices which the 
government had set upon their heads. Joseph Speckbacher, 
for whom the soldiers were hunting most eagerly, had disap- 
peared. The French and Bavarians ransacked every house 
where they suspected he might be concealed ; they inflicted 
the heaviest fines and most cruel tortures on the friends of the 
fugitive chief, because they would not betray the place where 
their beloved commander was concealed ; but all was in vain. 
Joseph Speckbacher had disappeared, and so had Father Has- 
pinger and Anthony Wallner.* 

* Speckbacher had fled to the higher mountains, where, on one of the 
summits of the Eisgletscher, in a cavern discovered by him in former times 
when pursuing the chamois, he lay for several weeks in the depth of winter, 
supported by salt provisions, eaten raw, lest the smoke of a fire should betray 
his place of concealment to his pursuers. Happening one day, in the begin- 
ning of March, to walk to the entrance for a few minutes to enjoy the as- 
cending sun, an avalanche, descending from the summit of the mountain 
above, swept him along with it, down to the distance of half a mile on the 
slope beneath, and dislocated his hip-bone in the fall. Unable now to stand, 
surrounded only by ice and snow, tracked on every side by ruthless pursuers, 
his situation was, to all appearance, desperate ; but even then the unconquer- 
able energy of his mind and the incorruptible fidelity of his friends saved 
him from destruction. Summoning up all his courage, he contrived to drag 
himself along the snow for several leagues, during the night, to the village of 
Yolderberg, where, to avoid discovery, he crept into the stable. His faithful 
friend gave him a kind reception, and carried him on his back to Rinn, where 
his wife and children were, and where Zoppcl, his devoted domestic, con- 


THE WARNING. 


473 


General Broussier was especially exasperated at the last 
named, the valiant commander of Windisch-Matrey, and he 
had promised a reward of one thousand ducats to him who 
would arrest “that dangerous demagogue and bandit-chief, 
Anthony Aichberger-Wallner,’’ and deliver him to the French 
authorities. But Wallner and his two sons, who, although 
hardly above the age of boyhood, had seemed to the French 
authorities so dangerous that they had set prices upon their 
heads, were not to be found anywhere. Schropfel, Wallner’s 
faithful servant, had talfen the boys into the mountains, where 
he stayed with them ; after nightfall he went down to Matrey 
to fetch provisions for the lonely fugitives. 

Anthony Wallner’s fine house was silent and deserted now. 
Only his wife and his daughter Eliza lived in it, and they 
passed their days in dreary loneliness and incessant fear and 
anguish. Eliza Wallner was alone, all alone and joyless. 
She had not seen her beloved Elza since the day when she was 
married. She herself had started the same night with Has- 
pinger for her father’s headquarters. Elza had remained with 
her young husband in Innspruck, where her father died on 
the following day ; and after the old Baron had been buried, 
Elza had accompanied her husband to Munich. From thence 
she wrote from time to time letters overflowing with fervent 

cealed him in a hole in the cowhouse, beneath where the cattle stood, though 
beyond the reach of their feet, where he was covered up with cow-dung and 
fodder, and remained for two months, till his leg was set and he was able to 
walk. The town was full of Bavarian troops ; but this extraordinary place 
of concealment was never discovered, even when the Bavarian dragoons, as 
was frequently the case, were in the stable looking after their horses. Zoppel 
did not even inform Speckbacher’s wife of her husband’s return, lest her 
emotions or visits to the place might betray his place of concealment. At 
length, in the beginning of May, the Bavarian soldiers having left the house, 
Speck bach er was lifted from his living grave and restored to his wife and 
children. As soon as he was able to walk, he set out, and, journeying chiefly 
in the night, through the wildest and most secluded Alps, by Dux and the 
sources of the Salza, he passed the Styrian Alps, where he crossed the frontier 
and reached Vienna in safety. There he was soon after joined by his family 
and liberally provided for. 

Haspinger succeeded in escaping into Switzerland, whence he travelled 
by cross-paths through Friuli and Carinthia to Vienna, where he received 
protection from the emperor. 


m 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


tenderness to her beloved friend, and these letters were the 
only sunbeams which illuminated Eliza’s cheerless life ; these 
letters told her of her friend’s happiness, of her attachment to 
her young husband, who treated her with the utmost kindness 
and tenderness. 

Eliza had received this afternoon another letter from her 
friend ; with a melancholy smile she read Elza’s description 
of her domestic happiness, and her eyes had unconsciously 
filled with tears which rolled slowly down her pale cheeks. 
She dried them quickly, but her mother, who sat opposite her 
near the lamp and seemed to be busily sewing, had already 
seen them. 

“ Why do you weep, Lizzie ?” she asked. “ Have you got 
bad news from Elza ? ” 

Eliza shook her head with a mournful smile. “ No, dear 
mother,” she said ; “ thank God, my Elza is happy and well, 
and that is my only joy.” 

“ And yet you weep, Eliza ? ” 

“ Did I weep, then ? ” she asked. “ It was probably a tear 
of joy at my Elza’s happiness.” 

“ No, Lizzie, it was no tear of joy,” cried her mother, 
mournfully. “ I see you often in tears, when you think that 
I do not notice it. You are grieving, Lizzie, do not deny it ; 
you are grieving. You sacrificed your love and happiness to 
Elza, and she does not even know it ; she does not thank you, 
and you will pine away. I see very well how sad you are ; 
and you become paler and more emaciated from day to day. 
Yes, yes, you will die of grief, for you still love Ulrich von 
Hohenberg.” 

“ No,” cried Eliza, vehemently, blushing deeply, “ I do not 
love him. I have buried my love in my heart, and it reposes 
there as in a shrine. It is true I think of it very often, I pray 
to it, but I have no unholy thoughts and feel no sinful desires. 
I am glad that my Elza is so happy ; yes, I am glad of it and 
thank God for it. But how can I be merry and laugh, mother, 
so long as my dear, dear father has not returned to us ? He 
must hide like a criminal ; they are chasing him like a wild 
beast ; he is always in danger, and we must constantly tremble 
for his safety. And I cannot do any thing for him, I cannot 


THE WARNING. 


475 


share his dangers, I cannot be with him in the dreadful soli- 
tude on the Alp above. I must look on in idleness, and can- 
not be useful to any one, neither to my father, nor to my 
brothers, nor to you, dear mother. I cannot help my father 
and brothers, and cannot comfort you, mother ; for I myself 
am in despair, and would — what was that, mother ? Did not 
some one knock at the window-shutter ? ” 

“ Hush, hush! ” whispered her mother; “let us listen.” 

They listened with bated breath. Eliza had not been mis- 
taken ; some one knocked a second time at the window-shutter, 
and the voice of a man whispered, “ Mrs. Wallner, are you in 
the room ? Open the door to me ! ” 

“ It must be a good friend of ours, for the dogs do not 
bark,” said Eliza; “ we will let him come in.” 

She took the lamp and went out courageously to draw the 
bolt from the street-door and open it. 

Yes, she had not been mistaken, it was really a good friend 
of theirs ; the man who entered the house was one of the few 
friends who had not denied Anthony Wallner, and who had 
not turned their backs upon his family since it was outlawed 
and in distress. 

“ You bring us bad news, Peter Siebermeier ? ” asked Eliza, 
anxiously, gazing into the mountaineer’s pale and dismayed 
face. 

“ Unfortunately I do,” sighed Siebermeier, stepping hastily 
into the sitting-room and shaking hands with Eliza’s mother. 
“ Mrs. Wallner,” he said, in breathless hurry, “ your husband 
is in the greatest danger, and only speedy flight can save 
him.” 

Mrs. Wallner uttered a piercing cry, sank back into her 
chair, wrung her hands, and wept aloud. Eliza did not weep ; 
she was calm and courageous. “ Tell me, Siebermeier, what 
can we do for father ? What danger threatens him ? ” 

“ A bad man, I believe, the clerk of the court, has informed 
the French that Anthony Wallner is still on one of the 
heights in this neighborhood. General Broussier intends to 
have him arrested. A whole battalion of soldiers will march 
to-morrow morning to the mountain of Ober-Peischlag and 
occupy it.” 


31 


476 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ Great God ! my husband is lost, then ! ” cried Eliza’s 
mother, despairing ; “ nothing can save him now.” 

tk Hush, mother, hush ! ” said Eliza, almost imperatively ; 
“ we must not weep now, we must think only of saving him. 
Tell me, friend Siebermeier, is there no way of saving him ? ” 

“ There is one,” said Siebermeier, “ but how shall we get up 
to him ? A friend of mine, who is acquainted with the mem- 
bers of the court, informed me quite stealthily that, if Aich- 
berger could be saved yet, it should be done this very night. 
Now listen to the plan I have devised. I intended to set out 
to-morrow morning to peddle carpets and blankets, for money 
is very scarce in these hard times. I procured, therefore, a 
passport for myself and my boy, who is to carry my bundle.' 
Here is the passport — and look ! the description corresponds 
nearly to Wallner’s appearance. He is of my stature and age, 
has hair and whiskers like mine, and might be passed off for 
myself. I am quite willing to let him have my passport, and 
conceal myself meanwhile at home and feign sickness. The 
passport would enable him to escape safely ; of course he would 
have to journey through the Alps, for every one knows him in 
the plain. However, the passport cannot do him any good, for 
there is no one to take it up to him. I would do so, but the 
wound which I received in our last skirmish with the Bava- 
rians, in my side here, prevents me from ascending the moun- 
tain-paths; and, even though I could go up to him, it would 
be useless, for we two could not travel together, the passport 
being issued to two persons, Siebermeier, the carpet-dealer, and 
the boy carrying his bundle. The boy is not described in the 
passport; therefore, I thought, if one of your sons were in the 
neighborhood, he might go up to his father, warn him of his 
danger, and accompany him on his trip through the moun- 
tains.” 

“ But neither of the boys is here,” said Mrs. Wallner, de- 
spairingly ; “ Schropfel took them to the Alpine hut near Upper 
Lindeau, and is with them. We two are all alone, and there 
is, therefore, no way of saving my dear husband.” 

“ Yes, mother, there is,” cried Eliza, flushed with excite- 
ment. “ I will go up to father. I will Warn him of his danger, 
carry him the passport, and flee with him.” 


THE WARNING. 


477 


“ You ! ” cried her mother, in dismay. “ It is impossible ! 
You cannot ascend the road, which is almost impassable even 
for men. How should a girl, then, be able to get over it, 
particularly in the night, and in so heavy a snow-storm ?” 

“You will be unable to reach your father, Lizzie,” said 
Siebermeier ; “the road is precipitous and very long ; you will 
sink into the snow ; your shoes will stick in it, and the storm 
will catch your dress.” 

“ No road is too precipitous for me if I can save my father,” 
exclaimed Eliza, enthusiastically. “ I must reach him, and 
God will enable me to do so. Wait here a moment, I will be 
back immediately. I will prepare myself for the trip, and 
then give me the passport.” 

“ She will lose her life in the attempt,” said Mrs. Wallner, 
mournfully, after she had hastened out of the room. u Alas ! 
alas ! I shall lose my husband, my sons, and my daughter 
too ! And all has been in vain, for the Tyrol is ruined, and we 
have to suffer these dreadful misfortunes without having ac- 
complished anything ! ” 

“ And the enemy acts with merciless cruelty in the coun- 
try,” said Siebermeier, furiously; “ he sets whole villages on 
fire if he thinks that one of the fugitives is concealed here ; he 
imposes on the people heavy war-taxes, which we are unable 
to pay ; and if we say we have no money, he takes our cattle 
and other property from us. Wails and lamentations are to 
be heard throughout the valley; that is all we have gained by 
our bloody struggle ! ” 

At this moment the door opened, and Eliza came in, not 
however in her own dress, but in the costume of a Tyrolese 
peasant-lad. 

“ Heavens ! she has put on her brother William’s Sunday 
clothes,” cried her mother, with a mournful smile ; “ and they 
sit as well on her as if they had been made for her. 

“ Now, Siebermeier,” said Eliza, holding out her hand to 
him, “ give me the passport. The moon is rising now, and I 
must go.” 

“But listen, my daughter, how the wind howls ! ” cried her 
mother, in deep anguish. “It beats against the windows as if 
to warn us not to go out. Oh, Lizzie, my last joy, do not leave 


478 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


me ! I have no one left but you ; stay with me, my Lizzie, do 
not leave your poor mother ! You will die in the attempt, 
Lizzie ! Stay here ; have mercy upon me, and stay here ! ” 

“I must go to father,” replied Eliza, disengaging herself 
gently from her mother’s arms. “ Give me the passport, friend 
Siebermeier.” 

11 You are a brave girl,” said Siebermeier, profoundly 
moved ; “ the good God and the Holy Virgin will protect you. 
There, take the passport ; you are worthy to carry it to your 
father.” 

“ And I shall carry it to him or die on the road,” cried Eliza, 
enthusiastically, waving the paper. “ Now, dear mother, do 
not weep, but give me your blessing ! ” 

She knelt down before her mother, who had laid her hand 
on her head. 

‘‘Lord, my God,” she exclaimed, solemnly, “protect her 
graciously in her pious effort to save her father. Take your 
mother's blessing, my Lizzie, and think that her heart and 
love accompany you.” 

She bent over her, and imprinted a long kiss on her 
daughter’s forehead. 

“I must go now, it is high time,” said Eliza, making a 
violent effort to restrain her tears. “ Farewell, friend Sieber- 
meier ; God and the saints will reward you for the service you 
have rendered us.” 

“My best reward will be to learn thatWallner is safe,” 
said Siebermeier, shaking hands with her. 

“ Now, a last kiss, dearest mother,” said Eliza. She en- 
circled her mother’s neck with both her arms, and kissed her 
tenderly. “Pray for me and love me,” she whispered ; “and 
if I should not come back, if I should lose my life, mother, 
write it to Elza and to him , and write that I died with love 
and fidelity in my heart. Farewell ! ” 

She disengaged herself quickly and hastened out of the 
room, regardless of the despairing cries of her mother, and not 
even looking back to her. It was high time for her to set out. 

She was in the street now. The snow rushed furiously into 
her face ; the howling storm dashed madly against her cheeks 
until they became very sore, but the moon was in the heavens 


THE FLIGHT. 


479 


and lighted her path. It was the same path which she had 
ascended with Ulrich when saving him. She was alone now, but 
her courage and her trust in God were with her ; strengthened 
and refreshed by her love for her father, she ascended the 
steep mountain path. At times the piercing wind rendered 
her breathless and seized her with such violence that she had 
to cling to a projecting rock in order not to fall from the nar- 
row path into the abyss yawning at her feet. At times ava- 
lanches rolled close to her with thundering noise into the 
depth and enveloped her in a cloud of snow ; but the moon 
shed her silver light on her path, and Eliza looked up cour- 
ageously. Forgetful of her own danger, she prayed in her 
heart only, “God grant that I may save my father ! Let me 
not die before reaching him ! ” 


CHAPTER XLIII. 

THE FLIGHT. 

Anthony Wallner sat in his lonely Alpine hut on the 
height near the village of Ober-Peischlag, and listened to the 
storm, which howled so loudly to-night that the hut shook and 
he was unable to sleep on his couch of straw. He had lighted 
his lamp, and sat musingly at the pine table, leaning his head 
on his hand, and brooding mournfully over his dreary future. 
How long would he have to remain here in his open grave ? 
How long would he be chased yet, like a wild beast, from 
mountain to mountain ? How long would he be obliged yet 
to lead an idle and unprofitable life in this frozen solitude, ex- 
posed to the fury of the elements, and in constant dread of 
losing this miserable life ? These were the questions that he 
asked himself ; intense rage seized his heart, tears of bitter 
grief filled his eyes — not, however, at his own misfortunes, but 
at the miseries of his fatherland. 

“ What am I suffering for ? What did I fight and risk my 
life for ? What did we all shed our blood for ? What did 
our brethren die for on the field of battle ? The fatherland 


480 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


was not saved, the French defeated us, and our emperor aban- 
doned us. We were brave defenders of our country, and now 
they call us criminals ; we intended to save the fatherland, 
and now they call us rebels and traitors ! The emperor gives 
us away like a piece of merchandise, regardless of his sacred 
pledges, and the French are chasing us as though we were 
thieves and murderers ! And Thou sufferest it, God in heav- 
en ? Thou — Hark ! did not that sound like a shot ? Is it the 
wind that is knocking so loudly at my door ? ” 

He sprang to his feet, took up his rifle, cocked it, and aimed 
at the door. 

There was another knocking at the door ; no, it was assur- 
edly not the storm that was rapping and hammering at it so 
regularly. No, no, it was the enemy ! He had spied him out, 
he had discovered his track, he had come to seize him ! 

“I will sell my life dearly,” murmured Anthony Wallner, 
grimly. “ I will shoot down the first man who opens the 
door ; then I will force a passage through the ranks with the 
butt-end of my rifle, and — ” 

“ Father,” cried a voice outside, “ father, open the door ! ” 
“Great God!” murmured Wallner, “did not that sound 
like my Lizzie calling me ? But that is impossible ; it cannot 
be she ; she cannot have ascended the mountain-path ; the 
storm would have killed her, and — ” 

“Father, dear father, pray open the door,” shouted the 
voice again, and somebody shook the door. 

Wallner laid down his rifle and hastened to the door. 
“ May God protect me if they deceive me, but I believe it is 
Lizzie.” 

He threw open the door ; the little Tyrolese lad rushed in, 
embraced him tenderly, kissed him with his cold lips, and 
whispered, “ My father ! thank God, I am with you ! ” 

“ It is Lizzie ! ” cried Wallner, in a ringing voice. “She 
has come to me through night and storm ! It is my daughter, 
my dear, dear daughter ! Oh, joy of my heart, how were you 
able to get up here in this terrible night ? No man would 
have dared to attempt it.” 

“ But I dared it, father, for I am your child, and love you. ” 
“ You love me, and I thank God ! ” he exclaimed, folding 


THE FLIGHT. 4§1 

her tenderly and anxiously to his heart ; “ I thank God for 
saving you, and — ” 

He faltered and burst into tears, which he did not try to 
conceal. He wept aloud and bitterly, and Eliza wept with 
him, and neither of them knew whether they wept for joy or 
grief. 

Eliza was the first to overcome her emotion. “Father,” 
she said, raising her head quickly, “ the enemy is on your 
track, and early to-morrow morning the French are going to 
occupy the mountain in order to arrest you. That is the rea- 
son why I have come up to you, for you must flee this very 
hour.” 

“ Flee ! ” he cried, mournfully. “ How can I ? The first 
Bavarian or French gendarme on the frontier, who meets me 
and asks me for my passport, will arrest me. I have no pass- 
port.” 

“ Here is a passport,” said Eliza, joyfully, handing him the 
paper, “ Siebermeier sends it to you.” 

“ The faithful friend ! Yes, that is help in need. Now I 
will try with God’s aid to escape. You, Lizzie, will return 
to mother, and bring her a thousand greetings from me ; 
and as soon as I am across the frontier, you shall hear from 
me.” 

“ I must go with you, father,” said Eliza, smiling. “ The 
passport is valid for Siebermeier, the carpet-dealer, and his 
son. Now you see, dear father, I am your son, and shall flee 
with you.” 

“ No,” cried her father, in dismay ; “ no, you shall never 
do so, Lizzie. I must journey through the wildest and most 
secluded Alps, and you would die in the attempt to follow me, 
Lizzie.” 

“And even though I knew that I should die, father, I 
should go with you,” said Lizzie, joyfully. “ You cannot flee 
without me, and I do not love my life very dearly if it cannot 
be useful to you, dear father. Therefore, say no more about 
it, and do not reject my offer any longer ; for if you do, it will 
be in vain, because I shall follow you for all that, and no road 
is too precipitous for me when I see you before me. There- 
fore, come, dear father ; do not hesitate any longer, but come 


482 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


with your little boy. You cannot flee without me ; therefore, 
let us try it courageously together. 1 ’ 

“ Well, I will do so, my brave little boy ; I believe I must 
comply with your wish,” exclaimed Wallner, folding her 
tenderly to his heart. “You shall accompany me, you shall 
save your father’s life. Oh, it would be glorious if God should 
grant me the satisfaction of being indebted for my life to my 
dear daughter Lizzie ! ” 

“ Come, now, father, come ; every minute’s delay increases 
the danger.” 

“ I am ready, Lizzie. Let me only see if my rifle is in good 
order and put on my powder-pouch. ” 

“ You cannot take your rifle with you, nor your powder- 
pouch either. You are no longer the brave commander of 
the sharpshooters of Windisch-Matrey, but Siebermeier, the 
carpet-dealer, a very peaceable man, who does not take his rifle 
and powder-pouch with him on his travels.” 

“ You are right, Lizzie. But it is hard indeed to flee with- 
out arms, and to be defenceless even in case of an attack by 
the enemy. And I do not want to let my rifle fall into the 
hands of the French when they come up here. I know a hole 
in the rock close by ; I will take it there and conceal it till 
my return. Come, now, Lizzie, and let us attempt, with God’s 
aid, to escape from the enemy.” 

He wrapped himself in his cloak, took the rifle, and both 
left the hut. 

Day was now dawning ; some rosy streaks appeared al- 
ready in the eastern horizon, and the summits of the glaciers 
were faintly illuminated. Eliza saw it, but she did not rejoice 
this time at the majestic beauty of the sunrise ; it made her 
only uneasy and sad, and while her father concealed his rifle 
carefully in the hole in the rock, Eliza glanced around anxious- 
ly, murmuring to herself : “ They intend to start at daybreak. 
It is now after daybreak ; the sun has risen, and they have 
doubtless set out already to arrest him.” 

u Now come,” said her father, returning to her ; “ we have 
a long journey before us to-day, for we must pass the Alps by 
hunters’ paths up to the Isel-Tauerkamm. We shall pass the 
night at the inn there ; in the morning we shall continue the 


THE FLIGHT. 


483 


journey, and, if it please God, we shall reach the Austrian 
frontier within three hours.” 

And they descended the mountain, hand in hand and with 
firm steps, and entered the forest. 

Nothing was to he heard all around ; not a sound broke the 
peaceful stillness of awaking nature ; only the wind howled 
and whistled, and caused the branches of the trees to creak. 
The sun had risen higher and higher, and shed already its 
golden rays through the forest. 

“ I would we had passed through the thicket and reached 
the heights again,” said Anthony Wallner, in a low voice. 
u We were obliged to descend in order to pass round the preci- 
pice and the steep slope ; we shall afterwards ascend the 
mountain again and remain on the heights. But if the sol- 
diers from Windisch-Matrey meet us here, we are lost, for 
they know me and will not pay any attention to my pass- 
port.” 

“ God will not permit them to meet us,” sighed Lizzie, ac- 
celerating her steps. They kept silent a long while, and not 
a sound was to be heard around them. All at once both gave 
a start, for they had heard the noise of heavy footsteps and the 
clang of arms. They had just passed through the clearing in 
the forest and were now again close to the thicket, by the side 
of which there was a small chapel with a large crucifix. They 
turned and looked back. 

“ The enemy ! the enemy ! ” cried Anthony Wallner, point- 
ing to the soldiers who were just stepping from the other side 
of the forest. “ Lizzie, we are lost ! Ah, and I have not even 
got my rifle ! I must allow myself to be seized without resist- 
ance ! ” 

“ No, we are not yet lost, father ; look at the chapel. May- 
be they have not yet seen us. Let us enter the chapel quickly. 
There is room enough for us two under the altar.” 

Without givingher father time to reply, Eliza hastened in- 
to the chapel and disappeared behind the altar. In a second 
Wallner was with her, and, clinging close to each other and 
with stifled breath, they awaited the arrival of the enemy. 

Now they heard footsteps approaching rapidly and voices 
shouting out aloud. They came nearer and nearer, and were 


484 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


now close to the chapel. It was a Bavarian patrol, and the 
two, therefore, could understand every word they spoke, and 
every w r ord froze their hearts. The Bavarians had seen them ; 
they were convinced that they must be close by ; they ex- 
horted each other to look diligently for the fugitives, and al- 
luded to the reward which awaited them in case they should 
arrest Anthony Wallner. 

Both lay under the altar with hearts throbbing impetu- 
ously, and almost senseless from fear and anguish ; Eliza 
murmuring a prayer with quivering lips ; Anthony Wall- 
ner clinching his fists, and firmly resolved to sell his life 
dearly and defend himself and his child to the last drop of 
blood. 

The enemies were now close to them ; they entered the 
chapel and advanced to the altar. Eliza, pale and almost 
fainting from terror, leaned her head on her father’s shoulder. 
The Bavarians struck now with the butt-ends of their muskets 
against the closed front-side of the altar ; it gave a dull, hard 
sound, for the fugitives filled the cavity. 

“ There is no one in there, for the altar is not hollow,” said 
one of the soldiers. The footsteps thereupon moved away 
from the altar, and soon all was silent in the chapel. Wall- 
ner and Lizzie heard only footsteps and voices outside ; they 
moved away farther and farther, and after a few seconds not a 
sound broke the silence. 

The fugitives lay still behind the altar, motionless, listen- 
ing, with hearts throbbing impetuously. Could they dare to 
leave their place of concealment ? Was it not, perhaps, a 
mere stratagem of the enemy to keep silent ? Had the soldiers 
surrounded the chapel, and were they waiting merely for them 
to come out ? They waited and listened for hours, but their 
cowering position benumbed their blood ; it stiffened their 
limbs and made their heads ache. 

“ Father, I can no longer stand it,” murmured Eliza ; “ I 
will die rather than stay here any longer.” 

“ Come, Lizzie,” said Wallner, raising himself up and jump- 
ing over the altar, “ come ! I, too, think it is better for us to 
die than hide thus like thieves. ” 

They joined hands and left the chapel, looking anxiously 


THE FLIGHT. 4 . 55 

in all directions. But every thing remained silent, and not a 
Bavarian soldier made his appearance. 

“They are gone, indeed they are gone,” said Wallner, 
triumphantly. “ Now we must make haste, my girl ; we 
shall ascend the height ; the footpath leads up here in the rear 
of the chapel ; within two hours we shall reach the summit, 
and, if our feet do not slip, if we do not fall into the depth, if 
no avalanche overwhelms us, and if the storm does not freeze 
us, I think we shall reach the Isel-Tauerkamm to-night, and 
sleep at the iun there. May the Holy Virgin protect us ! ” 

And the Holy Virgin did seem to guard the intrepid wan- 
derers — to enable them to cross abysses on frail bridges ; to 
prevent them from sinking into invisible clefts and pits cov- 
ered with snow ; to make them safely escape the avalanches 
falling down here and there, and protect them from freezing 
to death. 

Toward dusk they reached at length the inn on the Isel- 
Tauerkamm, utterly exhausted by fatigue, hunger, and frost, 
and entered the bar-room on the ground-floor. Nobody was 
there but the landlord, a gloomy, morose-looking man, who 
eyed the new-comers with evident distrust. 

When the two wanderers, scarcely able to utter a word, 
seated themselves on the bench at the narrow table, the land- 
lord stepped up to them. 

“ I am not allowed to harbor any one without seeing his 
passport,” he said. “ There are all sorts of fugitive vagabonds 
prowling around here to hide from the Bavarians, who are 
searching the whole district to-day. Give me your passport, 
therefore.” 

Wallner handed him the paper in silence. The landlord 
read it attentively, and seemed to compare the two with the 
description in the passport. 

“ H’m ! ” he said, “ the carpet-dealer and his son — that cor- 
responds to what the passport says ; but where is the bundle 
of carpets ? ” 

Anthony Wallner gave a slight start ; he recovered his 
presence of mind immediately, however, and said calmly, 
“ The carpets are all sold already ; we are on our return to 
W indisch-Matrey . ” 


486 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ See, see how lucky you have been,” said the landlord, 
laughing ; “ the passport says you started only yesterday 
morning, and to-day you have already sold all your carpets. 
Well, in that case, you are certainly justified in returning to 
your home. Your passport is in good order, and the Bava- 
rians, therefore, will not molest you.” 

“ As my passport is in good order, I suppose you will give 
us beds, and, above all things, something to eat and drink.” 

“ You shall have everything, that is to say, every thing that 
I can give you. I am all alone here, and have nothing but a 
piece of ham, bread, and cheese, and a glass of wine. As for 
beds, I have not got any ; you must sleep on the bench here.” 

“ Well, we will do so ; but give us something to eat now,” 
said Wallner, “and add a little fuel to the fire, that we may 
warm ourselves.” 

The landlord added some brushwood and a few billets to 
the fire, fetched the provisions, and looked on while the wan- 
derers were partaking of the food with eager appetite. All at 
once he stepped quickly up to them, seated himself on the 
bench opposite them, and drew a paper from his pocket. “ I 
will read something to you now,” he said. “ There were Ba- 
varian soldiers here to-day ; they gave me a new decree, and 
ordered me to obey it under pain of death. Listen to me.” 

And he read, in a loud, scornful voice : 

“ Know all men by these presents, that any inhabitant of 
the German or Italian Tyrol, who dares to harbor Anthony 
Wallner, called Aichberger, late commander of the sharp- 
shooters of Windisch-Matrey, or his two sons, shall lose his 
whole property by confiscation, and his house shall be burned 
down.” * 

“ Did you hear it ? ” asked the landlord, after reading the 
proclamation. 

“ I did,” said Wallner, with perfect composure, “ but it does 
not concern us.” 

“Yes, it does. I believe you are Anthony Wallner, and 
the lad there is one of your sons. ” 

Anthony Wallner laughed. “ Forsooth, ” he said, “ if I were 
Wallner I should not be so stupid as to show myself. I be- 
* Loritza, p. 130. 


THE FLIGHT. 


487 


lieve he is hiding somewhere in the mountains near Windisch- 
Matrey. But I think I resemble him a little, for you are not 
the first man who has taken me for Anthony Wallner. And 
that the lad there is not one of Anthony Wallner’s sons, I will 
swear on the crucifix, if you want me to do so.” 

“Well, well, it is all right, I believe you,” growled the 
landlord. “ Now lie down and sleep ; there is a pillow for 
each of you, and now good-night ; I will go to my chamber 
and sleep too.” 

He nodded to them morosely, and left the room. 

“Lizzie, do you think we can trust him ? ” asked Wallner, 
in a low voice. 

Eliza made no reply ; she only beckoned to her father, 
slipped on tiptoe across the room to the door, and applied her 
ear to it. 

There was a pause. Then they heard the front door jar. 

“ Father,” whispered Eliza, hastening to Wallner, “ he has 
left the house to fetch the soldiers. I heard him walk through 
the hall to the front door and open it. He has left, and 
locked us up.” 

“ Locked us up ? ” cried Wallner, and hastened to the door. 
He shook it with the strength of a giant, hut the lock did not 
yield ; the bolts did not give way. 

“ It is in vain, in vain! ” cried Wallner, stamping the floor 
furiously ; “ the door does not yield ; we are caught in the trap, 
for there is no other outlet.” 

“ Yes, father, there is ; there is the window,” said Eliza. 
“Come, we must jump out of the window.” 

“ But did you not see, Lizzie, that the house stands on a 
slope, and that a staircase leads outside to the front door ? If 
we jump out of the window, we shall fall at least twenty feet.” 

“ But there is a great deal of snow on the ground, and we 
shall fall softly. I will jump out first, father, and you must 
follow me immediately.” 

And Eliza disappeared out of the window. Wallner waited 
a few seconds and then followed her. They reached the 
ground safely ; the deep snow prevented the leap from being 
dangerous ; they sprang quickly to their feet, and hastened on 
as fast as their weary limbs would carry them. 


488 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


It was a cold, dark night. The moon, which shone so 
brightly during the previous night, was covered with heavy- 
clouds ; the storm swept clouds of snow before it, and whistled 
and howled across the extensive snow-fields.' But the -wan- 
derers continued their journey with undaunted hearts. 

All at once something stirred behind them ; they saw 
torches gleaming up, and Bavarian soldiers accompanying the 
bearers of the torches. The soldiers, headed by the landlord 
who had fetched them, rushed forward with wild shouts and 
imprecations. But W allner and Eliza likewise rushed forward 
like roes hunted down. They panted heavily, the piercing 
storm almost froze their faces, their feet bled, but they con- 
tinued their flight at a rapid rate. Nevertheless, the distance 
separating them from their pursuers became shorter and 
shorter. The Bavarians, provided with torches, could see the 
road and the footsteps of the fugitives in the snow, while the 
latter had to run blindly into the night, unable to see whither 
their feet were carrying them, and exhausted by the long jour- 
ney of the preceding day. 

The distance between pursuers and pursued rapidly di- 
minished ; scarcely twenty yards now lay between them, and 
the soldiers extended their hands already to seize them. At 
this moment of extreme peril the storm came up howling with 
redoubled fury and drove whole clouds of snow before it, 
extinguished the torches of the Bavarians, and shrouded every 
thing in utter darkness. The joyful cries of the pursued and 
the imprecations of their pursuers were heard at the same 
time. 

Wallner and Eliza, whose eyes were already accustomed to 
the darkness, advanced at a rapid rate ; the soldiers followed 
them, but blinded by the darkness, unable to see the road, and 
calling each other in order to remain together. These calls 
and shouts added to the advantages of the fugitives, for they 
indicated to them the direction which they had to take in 
order to avoid the enemy. Finally, the shouts became weaker 
and weaker, and died away entirely. 

The fugitives continued their flight more leisurely ; but 
they could not rest and stand still in the dark, cold night, for 
the storm would have frozen them, the cold would have killed 


THE FLIGHT. 


489 


them. They did not speak, hut advanced breathlessly and 
hand in hand. All at once they beheld a light twinkling in 
the distance like a star. There was a house, then, and men 
also. They walked on briskly, and the light came nearer and 
nearer. Now they saw already the house through whose win- 
dows it gleamed. In a few minutes they were close to the 
house, in front of which they beheld a tall post. 

“ G-reat God ! ” cried Anthony Wallner ; “ I believe that is 
a boundary-post, and we are now on Austrian soil.” 

He knocked hastily at the door ; it opened, and the two 
wanderers entered the small, warm, and cozy room, where 
they were received by a man in uniform, who sat at the table 
eating his supper. 

Anthony Wallner went close up to him and pointed to his 
uniform. 

“ You wear the Austrian uniform ? ” he asked. 

“ I do, sir,” said the man, smilingly. 

“ And we are here on Austrian soil? ” 

“Yes, sir. The boundary-post is in front of this house. 
This is an Austrian custom-house.” 

Anthony Wallner threw his arm around Eliza’s neck and 
knelt down. He burst into tears, and exclaimed in a loud, 
joyous voice, “ Lord God in heaven, I thank Thee ! ” 

Eliza said nothing, but her tears spoke for her, and so did 
the smile with which she looked up to heaven and then at her 
father. 

The custom-house officer had risen and stood profoundly 
moved by the side of the two. 

“ Who are you, my friend ? ” he asked ; “ and why do you 
weep and thank God ? ” 

“ Who am I ? ” asked Wallner, rising and drawing Eliza 
up with him. “ I am Anthony Wallner, and this is my 
daughter Lizzie, who has saved me from the Bavarians. The 
good God — ” 

He said no more, but leaned totteringly on Eliza’s shoulder, 
and sank senseless to the ground. 

Eliza threw herself upon him, uttering loud cries of 
anguish. “ He is dead,” she cried, despairingly ; “ he is 
dead!” 


490 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ No, he is not dead,” said the officer ; “ the excitement 
and fatigue have produced a swoon. He will soon he restored 
to consciousness and get over it. Careful nursing shall not he 
wanting to Anthony Wallner in my house.” 

He had prophesied correctly. Anthony Wallner awoke 
again, and seemed to recover rapidly under the kind nursing 
of his host and his daughter. 

They remained two days at the custom-house on the fron- 
tier. The news of Anthony Wallner’s arrival spread like 
wildfire through the whole neighborhood, and the landed 
proprietors of the district hastened to the custom-house to see 
the heroic Tyrolese chief and his intrepid daughter, and offered 
their services to both of them. 

It was no longer necessary for them to journey on foot. 
Wherever they came, the carriages of the wealthy and 
aristocratic inhabitants were in readiness for them, and they 
were greeted everywhere with jubilant acclamations. Their 
journey to Vienna was an incessant triumphal procession, a 
continued chain of demonstrations of enthusiasm and manifes- 
tations of love. 

Anthony Wallner, however, remained silent, gloomy, and 
downcast, amid all these triumphs ; and on arousing himself 
sometimes from his sombre broodings, and seeing the painful 
expression with which Eliza’s eyes rested on him, he tried to 
smile, but the smile died away on his trembling lips. 

“ I believe I shall be taken very sick,” he said, faintly. 
“My head aches dreadfully, and all my limbs are trembling. 

I was too long in the Alpine hut, and the numerous previous 
fatigues. The excitement, grief, cold, and hunger, and last, the 
long journey on foot, have been too much for me. Ah, Lizzie, 
Lizzie, I shall be taken sick. Great God ! it would be dreadful 
if I should die now and leave you all alone in this foreign 
country! No, no, I do not want to be taken sick, I have no 
time for it. Oh, listen to me, my God ! I do not want to be 
taken sick, for Lizzie must not be left an orphan here. No, 
no, no ! ” 

And he lifted his clinched fist to heaven, screamed, and 
wept, and uttered senseless and incoherent words. 

“ I am afraid he has got the nervous fever,” said Baron 


THE FLIGHT. 


491 


Engenberg, who was conveying Wallner and Eliza in his 
carriage from the last station to Vienna. “ It will be neces- 
sary for us to take him at once to a hospital.” 

“ Can I stay with him there and nurse him ? ” asked Eliza, 
repressing her tears. 

“ Of course you can.” 

“Then let us take him to a hospital,” she said, calmly. 
“ He will die, but I shall be there to close his eyes.” 

And it was Eliza that closed her father’s eyes. The vio- 
lent nervous fever which had seized Anthony Wallner was 
too much for his .^exhausted body. He died five days after his 
arrival at Vienna, on the 15th of February, 1810, at the city 
hospital. 

Many persons attended his funeral ; many persons came to 
see Eliza Wallner, the young heroine of the Tyrol. But Eliza 
would not see anybody. She remained in the room which 
had been assigned to her at the hospital, and she spoke and 
prayed only with the priest who had administered the last 
unction to her father. 

On the day after the funeral the Emperor Francis sent one 
of his chamberlains to Eliza, to induce her to remain in Vien- 
na. He would provide for her bountifully, and reward her 
for what her father had done. The chamberlain was also in- 
structed to conduct Eliza to the emperor, that he might thank 
and console her personally. 

Eliza shook her head, gravely. “The emperor need not 
thank me,” she said, “ for I did no more for him than he did 
for the Tyrol. He is unable to console me ; God alone can 
do that, and He will also provide for me. I cannot see the 
emperor, for my heart is too deeply afflicted. But if you will 
give me money enough, sir, to return quickly to my dear 
Tyrol and my beloved mother, I shall accept it and be grate- 
ful to you. I must return to my mother and weep with her ; 
and my dear home, my dear mountains will console me.” 

“ You can set out as soon as you please,” said the chamber- 
lain. “The emperor has interceded in your behalf and ob- 
tained this safeguard for you in case you wished to return to 
your native country. No one will molest you, and you and 
your family can live quietly at your home.” 

32 


492 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“ If the emperor had done as much for my father as he 
does for me, my father would not have died,” said Eliza, 
gravely, accepting the paper. “ Now he has no longer need 
of an emperor. He is with God, and I would I were with him 
above ! But I must not leave my mother. I must console 
her and stay with her as long as it pleases God.”* 


CHAPTER XLIV. 

% 

ANDREAS HOFER’S DEATH. 

The court-martial at Mantua had passed sentence of death 
upon Andreas Hofer for fighting against the French after the 
last proclamation of Eugene Beauharnais offering a general 
amnesty. But the court-martial had not adopted this decis- 
ion unanimously ; several members had voted for long con- 
finement, and two had had the courage to vote for his entire 
deliverance. By a singular revolution of fortune, the same 
General Bisson, who had been taken prisoner at Innspruck at 
the outbreak of the insurrection, and with whom Major Tei- 
mer had made his triumphal entry into Innspruck, was now 
governor of Mantua, and president of the court-martial which 
tried the commander-in-chief of the Tyrolese. The general, 
in consideration of his captivity among the Tyrolese, wished 
to act mildly and impartially, and sent a telegraphic dispatch 
to the viceroy at Milan to inquire what was to be done with 
Andreas Hofer, inasmuch as the sentence of the court-martial 
had not been passed unanimously. An answer was returned 
very soon. It contained the categorical order that Andreas 
Hofer should be shot within twenty-four hours. 


* Eliza Wallner returned to Windisch-Matrey, and lived there in quiet 
retirement. She never married. After the death of her mother she yielded 
to Joachim Haspinger’s entreaties and went to live at his house. The Capu- 
chin was ordained and appointed pastor of Jetelsee, and afterward of Traun- 
feld. Eliza lived with him as his adopted daughter, and was still with him 
at the time of his death, which took place in 1856, at Salzburg. — See Schall- 
hammer’s “ Joachim Haspinger,” p. 134. 


ANDREAS HOFER’S DEATH. 


493 


Commissioners of the military authorities, therefore, en- 
tered Andreas Hofer’s cell on the 21st of February, and in- 
formed him that he would suffer death within two hours. 

He listened to them standing, and with unshaken firmness. 
“ I shall die, then, at least as a soldier, and not as a criminal,” 
he said, nodding his head gently. “ I am not afraid of bullets, 
nor of the good God either ; He was always kind to me, and 
it is even now kind in Him to relieve me from my sufferings 
here. I am ready to appear before the judgment-seat of 
God.” 

“If you have any special wishes to prefer, communicate 
them to us now ; and if it is possible, they shall be granted,” 
said one of the officers, profoundly moved. 

“ There are some wishes which I should like to prefer,” re- 
plied Hofer, musingly. “ In the first place, I wish to see once 
more my dear Cajetan Doninger, who was separated from me 
and confined in another cell ; and then I wish to dictate a 
letter and my last will, and would request that both be sent to 
my dear brother-in-law.” 

“ These wishes shall be complied with ; I promise it to you 
in the name of General Bisson. Do you desire to prefer any 
additional requests ? ” 

“ I wish further that a priest be sent to me, that he may re- 
ceive my confession, and grant me absolution ; and finally, I 
should like to see once more my dear countrymen, who are 
imprisoned in the casemates here, and take leave of them in a 
few words.” 

“ A confessor will be sent to you, but your last request can 
not be complied with,” was the reply. “ An exciting and per- 
haps disorderly scene would ensue, and such things must be 
avoided.” 

“Well, then,” said Andreas, sighing, “send me my dear 
secretary, and afterward the priest.” 

A few minutes after the officers had withdrawn, the door 
opened, and Cajetan Doninger came in. He burst into tears, 
rushed toward Andreas Hofer, and folding him to his heart, 
exclaimed mournfully : “ Is it true, then, that they intend to 
kill you ? Is it true that they are going to assassinate the 
noblest and best man like a criminal ? ” 


494 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


“Hush, hush, Cajetan,” said Andreas, gently, pressing 
Doninger tenderly to his heart ; “ do not scold, but submit as 
I do. I die gladly, for it is better that I should sacrifice my- 
self for my native country than that others should die for my 
sake, or for the fatherland.” * 

“ Oh, would that I could die for you ! ” sobbed Doninger ; 
“my life is worthless without you. Is it possible that you 
must suffer now so ignominious a punishment for all your 
noble deeds and aspirations ? ” 

“God alone knows what is good,” said Andreas, mildly, 
“ and I have doubtless committed many errors, for which I 
have to suffer now. But, Cajetan, will you fulfil my last re- 
quest ? ” 

“ Name it, and I will comply with it.” 

“ Then weep no more, my dear friend, for your tears give 
me pain. Be, as formerly, manful and firm.” 

“ I will,” said Doninger ; and he dried his tears and forced 
himself to be calm and composed. 

“And now, Cajetan, be my secretary for the last time,” 
said Andreas, gently. “I will dictate to you a letter to my 
brother-in-law Pohler, at Neustadt. The jailer has already 
laid paper, pen, and ink on the table. Sit down, therefore, 
and write.” 

Cajetan went to the table and seated himself. “I am 
ready, commander-in-chief,” he said ; “dictate to me now.” 

Andreas walked up and down several times musingly ; he 
then stood still near the table ; a wondrous expression of se- 
rene calmness and peace beamed from his face, and he dic- 
tated in a clear, quiet voice, which did not once tremble with 
emotion. 

“ Dearest brother-in-law : It was God’s will that I should 
exchange here at Mantua my earthly life for a better one. 
But — God be praised for his divine mercy ! — it seems to me as 
little painful as if I were to be led out for another purpose. 
God in His mercy will doubtless be with me to the last mo- 
ment, when I shall ascend to that eternal dwelling-place where 
my soul will rejoice for evermore with all the chosen spirits, 

* Hofer’s own words. — See “ Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 195. 


ANDREAS HOFER’S DEATH. 


495 


and where I shall pray for all, and particularly for those to 
whom I owe my intercession ; above all, for you. too, and 
your dear wife, on account of the book which you presented 
to me, and of other kind acts. Let all my dear friends and 
acquaintances pray for me too, and help me to rise from the 
devouring flames, when I have to expiate my sins in purga- 
tory. My beloved wife, Anna Gertrude, is to have masses 
read for me at St. Martin's Zum rosenfarbnen Blut. She 
shall have prayers read in both of the parish-churches, and 
treat my friends at the lower inn to soup and meat, and give 
every one half a bottle of wine. The money I had about me 
will be distributed among the poor of this city ; for the rest, 
settle with my debtors and creditors as honestly as you can, 
lest I should have to atone for it also. Farewell, all of you, 
for this world, until we shall meet in heaven and praise God 
for evermore. Dearest brother-in-law, repair to the Passeyr 
valley, and inform the landlord of the lower inn of my in- 
structions. He will make all necessary dispositions. Let 
all the inhabitants of Passeyr, and all my acquaintances re- 
member me in their prayers. Dearest brother-in-law, tell 
my wife, Anna Gertrude, not to grieve for me. I shall pray 
to God for her and for all. Adieu, beautiful world ! Dy- 
ing seems to me so easy that there are not even tears in my 
eyes. 

“ Written at nine o’clock ; at ten I shall ascend to God 
with the aid of all the saints. 

“Your . 

“Mantua, February 20, 1810.*’* 

“ I will write the signature as I always did,” said Andreas 
Hofer ; and, taking up the pen quickly, he wrote : 

“Your Andreas Hofer, from Sand in Passeyr, whom you 
loved in this life. I will set out on my last journey in the 
Lord’s name.”t 

“ I thank you, Cajetan, for rendering me this last service,” 
said Andreas, kindly. “ And now, my dear friend, let us take 

* “ Gallery of heroes : Andreas Hofer,” p. 197. 
t “ Gallery of Heroes.” 


496 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


leave of each other. The confessor will be here soon, and then 
I must no longer speak to any one but God.” 

Cajetan came to him with a tottering step, and leaned his 
head silently on Hofer’s shoulder. He did not speak, he 
wanted to be firm, but he was unable to restrain the sobs and 
sighs which issued from his breast. 

“ My dear Cajetan, why do you weep ? ” asked Hofer, press- 
ing Doninger’s head gently to his heart. “Did you weep 
when I went into battle, where the enemy’s bullets might have 
hit me at any second ? You did not weep then. Think, there- 
fore, that I am going into battle to-day too, and that it is bet- 
ter for me to be hit by the bullets than suffer any longer in 
this manner.” 

At this moment the door opened, and the priest, Giovanni 
Giacomo Manifesti, dressed in full vestments, came in. The 
guards who followed him led away Doninger, who obeyed 
them in silence, as if stunned by his terrible grief.* 

Andreas Hofer remained alone with his confessor. 

At eleven o’clock the doors of the prison were thrown 
open, and Andreas Hofer was led out to execution. His face 
was serene, and in his hands he held the small crucifix which 
he had always worn on his breast. His confessor, Manifesti, 
walked by his side, and a battalion of grenadiers followed 
him. 

Andreas Hofer walked along the ramparts of the fortress 
with a firm step. As he passed by the barracks of the Porta 
Molina, where the Tyrolese prisoners were confined, they fell 
on their knees and wept aloud. Andreas turned quickly to 
Manifesti, the priest. “ Your reverence,” he said, “ you will 
d .ribute among my poor countrymen the five hundred 
fl rins, my last property, which I gave to you, will you not ? ” 

“ I will, my son.” 

“ And take my greetings to all,” said Andreas Hofer, in a 
grave, loud voice, “ and tell them not to be disheartened, nor 
to think that all is lost, and that we have fought and bled in 

* Cajetan Doninger was taken immediately after Hofer’s execution, from 
his prison, and sent to the Island of Corsica, as a private in a regiment of light 
infantry. He succeeded, some time afterward, in escaping from thence, and 
returning to his native country. 


ANDREAS HOFER’S DEATH. 


497 


vain. Better times will dawn upon my beloved Tyrol, and 
one day it will be again a free German country. Tell them to 
hope and believe in this prediction.” 

On the broad bastion, a little distance from the Porta Ce- 
resa, the grenadiers formed a square, open in the rear. An- 
dreas Hofer entered this open space with the priest, bowed 
kindly to all sides, and prayed aloud with the priest. 

‘ k Now, farewell, dear reverend father,” he then said, “ and 
accept this crucifix as a souvenir from me. I have worn it on 
my breast for twenty years past, and it will remind you of 
Andreas Hofer. Inform my wife that I suffered death joy- 
ously, and that I know we shall meet again above. You prom- 
ised me to do so, and you will redeem your promise, rever- 
end father, will you not ?•” 

“ Certainly I will, my beloved, pious son,” said Manifesti ; 
and with tears in his eyes he embraced and blessed Andreas 
Hofer for the last time.* 

The priest thereupon left the square, while twelve men and 

V, 

* Manifesti redeemed his promise. He sent to the Tyrol the following let- 
ter regarding Hofer’s death : 

Mantova, li 21, Febrajo, 1810. 

“ Ieri poeo primo del mezzo giorno e stato fucillato il Signore Andrea Ho- 
fer, gia commandante del Tirolo. Dalla commissione militare, che l’ha sen- 
tentiato, fu invitato ad assisterlo, e sebbene fossi convalesoente per una mala- 
dia pocchi giorno avanti sofferta, ho volonteri assento l’impegno, e con somma 
mia consolazione ed edificatione ho ammirato un uomo, che e andato alia 
morte d’un eroe Christiano e I’ha sostenuto di martire intrepido. Egli con 
tutta segretezza mi ha consegnata una carta di somma importanza per l’orfona 
sua famiglia, incaricando mi dirigerla a V. Sig. Rio M. — Sono con perfetta 
stima, 

“ Di V. S. Rio M. 

“ Divotissimo, 

“ Giov. Batt. (Arciprete) Manifesti.” 

“Mantua, Feb. 21,1810. — Yesterday, a few minutes before twelve, Mr. 
Andreas Hofer, late commander of the Tyrol, was shot here. The military 
commission which tried him requested me to attend him, and although 1 had 
recovered but a few days since from sickness, I gladly complied with the re- 
quest, and admired, to my consolation and edification, a man who went to 
death as a Christian hero, and suffered it as an intrepid martyr. Under the 
seal of profound silence he intrusted to me a paper of the highest impor- 
tance to his family,” &c. — See Hormayr’s “ Lebensbilder,” vol. i. p. 224. 


498 


ANDREAS HOFER. 


a corporal stood forth with loaded muskets. The corporal of- 
fered Hofer a white handkerchief to bandage his eyes. 

“No,” said Hofer. “I have often already faced death ; it 
is a dear friend of mine, and I want to see it, therefore, when 
it comes to me.” 

“ Kneel down, then,” said the corporal. 

“ I shall not,” replied Hofer, gravely and almost imperi- 
ously. “ I am used to stand upright before my Creator, and 
in that posture I will deliver up my spirit to Him. But pray,” 
he added in a milder voice, “ aim well. Come, corporal, I will 
give you yet a souvenir ; it is my whole remaining property. 
Look at this Zwanziger ; I had it coined when I was com- 
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol ; and it reminds me now of my 
beloved country, and it seems to me as though its snow-clad 
mountains were looking down on me and greeting me. There, 
keep it as a remembrancer, and aim well ! ” 

The corporal stepped back and commanded in a voice 
tremulous with emotion, “ Fire ! ” 

“ Fire ! ” shouted Hofer. “ Long live the Tyrol ! ” 

Six shots rang out, but Andreas Hofer was not dead ; he 
had sunk only on one knee and leaned on his right hand. 

Six shots crashed again. They struck him to the ground, 
but did not yet kill him. He raised his bleeding head once 
more. 

The corporal, filled with pity, stepped now close up to him, 
put his musket to Hofer’s forehead, and fired. 

This thirteenth shot dispatched him at length ! 

The grenadiers raised the corpse and carried it on a black 
bier to St. Michael’s church, where it lay in state during the 
requiem, that the people might convince themselves of the 
death of the beloved and feared commander-in-chief of the 
Tyrol, Le General Sanvird, Andreas Hofer, the Barbone, and 
of the final subjugation of the Tyrol.* 

* Hofer’s remains were buried in Manifestos garden. A simple slab on 
his grave bore the following inscription : “ Qui giace la spoglia del fu Andrea 
Hofer, detto il Generale Barbone, commandante supremo delle milicie del 
Tirolo, fucillato in questa forterezza nel giorno 20 Febrajo 1810, sepolto in 
questo luogo.” (“ Here rest the remains of the late Andreas Hofer, called 
General Barbone, commander-in-chief of the Tyrolese militia, shot in this for- 


ANDREAS HOFER’S DEATH. 


499 


This occurred on the 20th of February, 1810 ; and on the 
same day on which Andreas Hofer was shot at Mantua, be- 
cause he had loved his country and his Emperor Francis too 
faithfully, almost at the very hour of his death, the booming 
of artillery was to be heard on the ramparts of Vienna. 

It proclaimed to the Viennese the joyful news that the 
Archduchess Maria Louisa, the emperor’s daughter, was the 
affianced bride of the Emperor Napoleon ! 

tress on the 20th of February, 1810, and buried in this place.”) Fourteen 
years afterward Hofer’s remains were disinterred by three Austrian officers, 
who had obtained Manifestos consent, and conveyed to Botzen. The Em- 
peror Francis gave orders to transfer them to Innspruck, where they were 
buried in the church of the Franciscans by the side of the monument of the 
Archduke Ferdinand and his beloved Philippina Welser. — See Ilormayr’s 
“ Andreas Hofer,” vol. ii., p. 539. 


THE END, 




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